Out On Her Own
by BaileyChabot
Summary: AU-Gail has decided to enlist with the Ontario Provincial Police and is stationed in Timmins, Ontario, much to the chagrin of her mother, who withdraws financial support. Gail decides to go anyway and meets Holly, a doctor who took the rural posting to help pay off medical school debt.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Eight and a half hours. That is how long she'd been driving north, or more specifically, eight hours and thirty-eight minutes. She started keeping track somewhere near North Bay as the kilometres passed her by, and time started to feel like it was standing still. She realized she was heading away from the more densely populated areas, but she never imagined that she'd be able to drive this long, along a provincial highway, without seeing a convenience store. Or truck-stop. Or a sign that indicated there was one approaching. Hell, she'd settle for a lemonade stand operated by two eight-year olds; anything to just pull over and stretch her legs. She'd seen nothing for the last hour but trees, rocks, and the occasional vehicle passing her by.

By the time her beat-up Sunfire rolled to a stop in front of her new apartment, it was well past dark and considerably later than she'd thought it would be when she arrived at her new home.

Home.

It had hit her with a sense of finality that, at least for the next 12 months, Timmins, Ontario would be where she laid her head at night. She laughed aloud when she passed the aging "Welcome to/Bienvenue à Timmins" sign that had announced her arrival to the new town. It either was laugh or cry -and she really wanted to cry- but she'd be damned if she showed one ounce of regret over this decision, even if there wasn't a soul to witness it.

XXXXXXXXXX

She had known she would be a police officer her entire life. Or rather, she knew she'd never have the courage to stand up to her mother and do anything other than go through the Academy and join the Metropolitan Law Enforcement of Toronto. So it was with a defeated yet determined attitude that she'd applied to, and been accepted for, the Academy the summer after finishing her Criminology and Sociolegal Studies degree from the University of Toronto.

At the Academy it was expected of her to be top of the class, which she was, and create contacts with the higher ups, which she had. It was the latter that had sent her down the rabbit hole that she was now finding herself tumbling down.

The second to last external lecture was titled _Policing Outside of the City_ which was given by a Constable James Beatty of the Ontario Provincial Police. The lecture was interesting enough, mostly about how rural policing was a lot more hands-on and a lot less dangerous than that of city patrol. Or at least that's what she thought it was about.

She didn't pay close attention to what the Constable had to say-she wouldn't have to worry about how to safely shuffle moose across the highway or how to pull a tongue off frozen metal (how often did that really happen and why the hell were the police called? is what she really wanted to know). Elaine Peck's plan did not involve Gail wasting her time shooing raccoons from cabins; she needed her to focus her attention on getting collars and networking so she could apply for the earliest detective rotation. Elaine had even scoffed when Gail mentioned that she thought it would be an interesting lecture.

"Don't be ridiculous, Gail. Rural postings are filled by men and women who aren't qualified for city police. They give this lecture so the bottom of the class can join without the embarrassment of being denied a position with a metropolitan force. The Provincial Police is no place for a Peck".

And with that it was decided.

But something about Constable Beatty really struck a chord with Gail. It wasn't the fact that he was handsome- "if this is rural policing, I'll grab a pitchfork and meet you by the barn, Constable Beatty" was exactly how Tracy put it- but he spoke with such a conviction for helping others that Gail decided that there was no harm in talking to him after class. If her mother ever asked, it was a networking opportunity and not a genuine curiosity for this sort of police work.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one in her class who wanted to talk to him, but Gail could tell she was the only one of the stragglers that didn't have googly eyes for this man. She was already irritated that she would have to ask her questions in front of the others, who obviously didn't care what he had to say so long as he was still in their eye sight, but the fact that their interest in talking to him was so thinly veiled irked the blonde even more.

"Constable Beatty, I just wanted to say 'thank you' for your lecture today. It was very… interesting" McNally said to him as she bat her big brown eyes at him, her voice sweet as honey. Gail rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, it was very informative! Like, who knew moose could cause so many problems?!" babbled Price in her sing-song tone.

"Oh, God" thought Gail, "this might not be worth it".

And just when she was about to give up and go to lunch without having had the chance to talk to the Constable, Dov came through the lecture hall doors, winded from having run back from the dorm rooms.

"Ladies, I hate to be the bearer of bad news" he wheezed, "but there is a surprise room inspection in 10 minutes. Whoever doesn't pass has their permission to leave campus revoked this weekend". He reaches into his pant pocket to grab his inhaler.

A series of "oh, no!" and "shit!" and general moans and groans are uttered by McNally, Price, and Nash simultaneously as they make a hasty dash for the door, calling out their apologies to the Constable as they ran to their dorm rooms, hoping they could clean up in time to keep their weekend of freedom.

The Constable just chuckled as the women ran out the door. He was putting his notes away when he noticed he wasn't alone.

"No big plans this weekend? Or a you just a glutton for punishment?" the man said as he noticed the lone student left behind.

"One of the perks of being raised in my family: no breakfast unless your room is clean" the blonde replied.

"Ah. Makes sense that you're at the Academy then. I'm assuming you come from police?" he said while he actually took her in for the first time. It was then that he noticed her piercing blue eyes, eyes he'd seen before but quite some time ago. Just like the last time he'd seen these eyes, they were attached to a slim woman, with the athletic build that comes from years of running, but unlike last time the woman had platinum blonde locks that couldn't be natural. But there was no mistaking those eyes.

"You must be Elaine's daughter" he said with a knowing smile before she had the chance to answer.

Momentarily confused that this man would know her mother, Gail simply looked at him and said "I am". Her mother's reach in policing went much further than she had thought if even provincial constables knew her.

"You have your mother's eyes".

Gail wasn't sure how to respond to this man who clearly knew her mother but in more than a professional sense, made obvious by the wistful look in his eyes. He seemed to be around the same age as Elaine Peck, time being as kind to him as it had been to her. Her intrigue further piqued by the Constable, she decided to tread lightly, but prod none the less.

"Do you know her?" she inquired, as innocently as she could.

"Knew her. We went through the Academy together. We actually signed up for the same detachment when we graduated."

"Oh, so you were in the Metropolitan Police Force too?"

"No, actually, I have always been a part of the Provincial Police." His sentence hung between them, the senior officer looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Your mother and I, well, we, ah, we were something of an item back in our days here" he stuttered, the first time the confident man showed any sign of not being controlled and relaxed. He glanced back at Gail who was stunned at meeting a former boyfriend of her mother's- men she assumed existed in the world somewhere, just never having given them much more than a passing thought.

It was then that the weight of his statement hit her. Her mother, Inspector Elaine Peck of the Metropolitan Law Enforcement, the woman who yesterday spoke so poorly of anyone who considered policing outside of a major city, had nearly followed a man into the Ontario Provincial Police herself! Gail just stared at the man who nearly changed the course of her mother's life.

"Why didn't she go?" she finally managed to ask the man who was becoming more uncomfortable having this conversation with a past girlfriend's daughter.

"Well, ummm, we were set to join on with Sudbury when told me she wouldn't go. Elaine was stubborn and nothing I said would change her mind. Last I heard she had married Bill Peck" he said as he started packing his things more quickly. "Your father" he sputtered, in case she had forgotten who Bill Peck was.

Gail was usually one to revel in people's misery, and she would have enjoyed Constable Beaty's obvious discomfort with her presence had she not been so caught up in all the new intel she'd just gathered on the woman who built her life on reputation.

"Here" he shoved some pamphlets in Gail's hand as he gathered up his briefcase and jacket. "I'm sorry I don't have more time to chat with you, but I have go get going. Hopefully these can answer your questions… uh, you know, if you had any." He rushed past her and out the door.

Gail didn't move. She just looked at the pamphlets then back at the flustered man as he left.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Home, sweet home" she sighed as she pulled her keys from the ignition. Deciding that everything could stay in the car until morning, she grabbed her purse and her overnight bag and headed into the small apartment complex to her new place.

The one bedroom apartment was small-that was the first thing she'd noticed. She knew that the apartment wasn't going to be luxurious, but coming from her parents McMansion in suburban Toronto, it was a hard pill to swallow. The room she grew up with- the only room she'd ever had- was bigger than her living room and kitchen combined. She poked her head into the bathroom and saw that it too was cramped, with only a shower stall, toilet, and small sink and vanity.

Her new bedroom wasn't much better. At least it had a decent sized closet and didn't look out onto the parking lot. Instead she had a simple view of the street two stories below, lined sparsely with trees.

A second tour of her new abode came with a realization. She should have noticed the first time she looked around-it had taken less than 30 seconds to take the entire place in- but there was no furniture in the apartment.

"Shit!" she swore aloud. "Where is everything?". She thought back to the conversations she'd had with the landlord when she'd found the apartment online. The photos he had posted showed the simple apartment she was now standing in, but hadn't there been a couch? A dining room table? She definitely remembered a bed because who could forget that super tacky comforter?

She fished her phone out of her purse and dialed, forgetting the time. A groggy voice finally answered on the fifth ring.

"Hello?" said the baritone at the other end of the line.

"Hi, um, my name is Gail Peck. I am the new tenant at number 5, 860 Suzanne street. I just got here and, um, the furniture is gone!" Gail was trying to keep her growing sense of panic out of her voice, but wasn't succeeding.

"Ms. Peck, it's midnight. Why are you calling me about furniture?" the obviously unimpressed landlord replied.

"Because when you sent me the pictures, the apartment was full of ugly furniture and now it isn't here!" she snapped. "I don't have any of my own furniture so do you see why this might be a problem for me?!"

There was silence at the end of the line. Finally the man sighed and said "Ms. Peck, the apartment isn't furnished. The photos I took included the previous tenant's furniture and décor. That's why there aren't any pictures on the walls and why there is no couch in the living room. This was plainly stated in the ad you saw. Is there anything actually wrong with the apartment?"

It was Gail's turn to be silent. How could she have been so stupid? Why did she think an apartment came with furniture? Was she thinking of dorm rooms? They were surely furnished… weren't they?

This move was making her aware of how focused on joining the police force her childhood had truly been. By the age of 12, Gail could hit a moving target with such precision that she'd actually won awards for her sharp shooting. She could recite passages from the Criminal Code, could run a mile in four and a half minutes and she could live in the woods for days with nothing more than her instincts and a knife, but day to day activities that most people learned were a struggle for her. Looking for an apartment had been one such activity, this late night conversation making that painfully obvious.

"No" she replied in a much softer tone. "Sorry for waking you" she practically whispered before ending the call without waiting for man to say anything else.

She looked around the apartment once more, the conversation with the landlord sapping what little energy she had left. She washed up quickly and changed into yoga pants and a hoodie before pulling her jacket around her and resting her head on her overnight bag.

"My first night in my own place and I'm sleeping on the floor like a squatter" she thought to herself. She let her mind wander. It hit her, definitely not for the first time, that she might have bitten off more than she could chew. As she tried to get comfortable on the wood flooring of the living room, because she'd be damned before she put more than the bottom of her feet on the carpet that covered the floor of the bedroom, she tried to let her tense muscles relax.

"Shit" she said again, knowing this wasn't going to be the last bump in the road. She finally let silent tears fall.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to those who have taken the time to review this! I tried to make this chapter a bit longer. Enjoy!

My tumblr is baileychabot if you are a fan of the Golly storyline.

**Chapter 2**

"Is this really a good idea, Gail?" Steve looked at her.

"Why do you care?" she spat back, the statement sounding harsh. Well, harsher than she usually meant. She knew accepting the post with Timmins was going to be difficult but she was having a hard enough time battling her own demons, the last thing she needed was Steve's doubt plaguing her too.

"Because I know you like to annoy our mother, but this is actually a big life choice you're making. I don't want to see you throw your whole career away because you had an opportunity to piss off Elaine Peck".

"Do you honestly think I'm moving to Nowhereville, Ontario just to piss her off, Steven? I might be petty but nothing comes before my own well-being. My moto is: as long as I'm happy, who cares?" she said with a sarcastic smile as she took a swig of her beer. "Besides, the decision has already been made. I'm leaving tomorrow and you know that, so why are you trying to piss me off right now? I thought we were going to enjoy ourselves tonight before I left because once I'm out in Deliverance Country, who knows when I'll be back?" she said in an annoyed tone. "If you're going to act like 'mommy's little errand boy' then I'll just go sit with the other rookies" she said as she started to get off her bar stool and head to the table where Dov, Chloe, Traci, and Andy were sitting.

"Fine, Gail. I'm calling 'uncle'. No more talk about your life ruining decision to protect farmers from their tractors in parts of the country normal people don't go to" he said, getting one final dig before changing the topic, but not before Gail got in a good punch on his drinking shoulder and sat back down in her seat.

"Ow! Was that really necessary? You know I'm just worried about you" he laughed as he rubbed his arm. "I hope you don't try and make friends like this when you're in Timmins little sister, because the only reason I'm still here talking to you is the fact that I'm related to you by blood" he joked.

"Don't say 'blood relative' Steve, that's just weird. And the only reason I'm going to continue to subject myself to your company is the fact that you're going to buy me tequila, then a nice tumbler of bourbon" she smiled as she thought of the men in her life that had never let her down; Jose Cuervo and Johnnie Walker.

"Do you need hard liquor? Aren't you going to be spending all day tomorrow driving? Do you really want to do that with a hangover?" he asked her seriously. Gail knew her brother genuinely cared for her well-being, the bond of being raised _Peck_ was undeniable. There was a shared connection forged from understanding what it was to deal with the pressures of their last name and, in particular, Superintendent Elaine Peck. Even though Gail would gag on her drink if she ever heard him say it, she knew he loved her like only a brother could love a younger sister. Which is why it was so much more irritating that he didn't know that she just needed some liquid courage to prevent her from running out the door of the Black Penny and calling Timmins and telling them she'd made a mistake and that she couldn't come after all.

Instead she just glared at him. Steely blue eyes that said "do not fuck with me right now".

"Fine, but I'm only buying you one of each. I'm not wasting my two precious days off driving you to Middle Earth because you can't stay sober for a night in your life" he said as he waved to the bartender.

"Middle Earth? Really, Steve?" she questioned him and the bartender poured her tequila. He went to offer her the limes but the liquor was already in her stomach before the bar keep could pass the citrus over. "I don't need training wheels for my tequila" she scoffed, offended that he thought she couldn't handle the drink straight up.

"You tell me, Gail. You're the geek who likes Star Wars and stuff" he teased.

"If memory serves, I remember a younger, and a considerably more gangly, Steven Peck learning Elvish through high school" she smiled at him as sweetly as she could without laughing as his faced dropped at the revelation.

"How do you even remember that?" he mumbled as he contemplated his beer. "And it was _Sarati_, not Elvish" he added for emphasis, not that it really mattered. He only furthered her point.

"So who's the geek now, Mr. Tolkien?" she laughed as they fell into the easy banter they used to communicate, particularly when they were trying to express emotions neither were good at expressing.

A comfortable silence fell over them as Gail ordered herself tumbler of Johnnie Walker, straight up. Just to spite the elder Peck, she asked for a double.

"I can't believe she agreed to it" Steve finally said. "I can't believe you talked her into letting you join the OPP. I mean, when I went through the Academy, she told me that if I even considered a force other than the Metropolitan Law Enforcement she'd make sure the only posting I could get was in Iqaluit. Timmins is New York City by comparison!" Steve said, still astonished that his younger sister, the girl who cowered in front of their mother their entire lives, had convinced her that this was the best thing for her.

"Steve, I'm an adult. I don't need my mother's permission to get a job in law enforcement. I'm perfectly qualified" she said, pretending to not understand what he was truly saying.

"You know what I mean. She could have made your life a living hell. Christ! She has made your life a living hell, and yet, she agreed to this like you had suggested running out to the store for milk! I don't get it" he trailed off.

"Once again, why do you care?" she said far kinder than the first time the words escaped her mouth this evening.

He didn't respond right away. He just downed the last of his beer before looking her in the eye.

"Because" he started, "I had my heart set on being a Mountie".

"Seriously?" the genuine look of confusion on her face told her brother she had had no idea.

"Seriously. I always thought I'd join the RCMP. I was about to put my application in when she intervened. She said '_Steven, I raised you better than that!_', like she had caught me stealing from the corner store" he said, using his best falsetto voice to imitate the family matriarch.

Knowing he was never one stoop to laughing at another's expense, Gail guessed Steve must have been genuinely upset that their mother had allowed Gail to join a force other than that of the family business. It was an unfamiliar role reversal for her, having never witnessed his insecurities. She had always looked up to Steve, always thought of him as the _Golden Boy Who Could Do No Wrong_. That was certainly the way Elaine Peck painted him and she was sure Gail saw him that way too, if for no other reason than to remind Gail of what she was up against. The fact that Steve was envious that Gail got to join the OPP, if not with Elaine's blessing, but without her outright disapproval, made her uncomfortable.

"You know that even though she let me join, she cut me off, right? Like, taking care of myself now, 'I hope I have enough spare change to pay for gas to get to Timmins' kind of cut off. I'm off the dole. That was part of the deal; I could go to Timmins but it was without her financial support." She hoped it would help him feel better, knowing it wouldn't.

"You'll be earning a paycheque starting Monday, Gail. Why do you need her money after that?" he said, his mood still not improving, despite her efforts. "And I can lend you some cash if you're worried" he offered.

"I don't accept bribes" she said with a tight lipped smile.

"You're a real comedic genius. If you need some help until you get settled you know I could be persuaded to lend you twenty, maybe even thirty dollars" he smiled back.

"I'm fine Steve, honestly. It's just annoying that my entire life up to this point was to become this robotic super cop; everything, all of my hobbies, summer camp, it was all so I could be this-"

"Robotic super cop?" he finished for her, mocking her for her choice of words.

"You know, I'm not leaving until tomorrow morning and it's only 9 pm. I'm sure I could find the time to stop over at our parent's place to say goodbye and accidently let it slip that it wasn't the neighbour's dog that dug up the flower beds, that it was you on a mushroom trip, looking for gnomes". She looked at him with a wicked grin.

"That's not funny and you know it" he said with a stern face.

"What?" she feigned innocence.

"Gail, you wouldn't" he warned.

"Oh, relax, Golden Boy. Your secret is safe with me, but interrupt me again and you'll be sporting a bruise on your other shoulder" she said, poking the spot where she punched him earlier.

"Alright, alright. You were saying?" He slapped her hand away from the sore part of his arm where her boney knuckles had collided.

"I just meant that part of our ridiculous childhood was that we didn't have to worry about money. I was never going to take cash from them once I got started with the Force, I didn't even like taking their money when I was doing my degree, but we weren't allowed to get jobs so else was I supposed to do? But now, right as I'm about to get myself setup financially, she pulls the rug out from under me. Just to spite me, just to show me that she could" she finished, her tone becoming more contemplative as she delivered her speech.

"Yeah, but you got what you wanted Gail. Can you really put a price on that?" he asked, his tone wistful as he thought of his life with the Mounties, wearing their formal uniform and saluting the flag during the national anthem.

"Where you really that set on joining the Mounties?" noticing the wonder that overcame his face. "Why?"

"Because the Mounties are cool, Gail. They're the good guys. You know who you see when you watch _Cops_?" he asked her, having been pulled from his reverie.

"The god-awful TV show that has trailer-trash trying to run from the police with their pants around their ankles? Is that what you're asking me right now?"

"Yeah, that show. You see the public being manhandled by guys in uniform. I never wanted to be like that, or even associated with that. To me, Mounties were always fair. They represented what honest police work could be".

Gail wasn't sure what to say. She had never known he felt such disdain for his own profession, thinking they were so barbaric and brutish.

"You know that's just a show, right? And that Mounties can be dickheads too. I'm pretty sure they don't have a 'No dickheads' clause on the application form. Steve, people don't see you as a guy in uniform, manhandling the public" she tried to reassure him, surprised again to see his vulnerability showing. He must be drunker than she thought he was.

"I know they don't. I love my job, I really do, but there is just a part of me that knows I belong elsewhere" he gave her a half-smile. "So I guess I'll just live vicariously through you" he said, slapping her on the back. She almost spit the last of her bourbon on the bar when his hand connected with her ribs.

"Easy, Steve, I can't show up on my first day with a broken rib" she coughed.

"Don't be a wimp, you'll be fine". He ordered them another couple of pints, having decided he was going to make sure Gail didn't lose control tonight; he made sure he was the one who ordered and paid for the drinks. It wasn't like Gail had any money anyway, but he was going to make sure his own money wasn't inadvertently used to get Gail wasted the night before her epic journey north- anything to make the transition a little more smooth for her.

As he was paying for the round of new drinks she thought telling him the story of Constable Beatty and their mother might cheer him up. She had thought quite a few times about telling him, actually, but there was something that was holding her back. Even though she knew Steve would never tell another soul, she just couldn't betray her mother by divulging this particular part of her past. Despite the years of torment Elaine had caused her, Gail felt a sense of loyalty to her, to her family. Even though Gail herself had used this information to her advantage, she just couldn't reveal that the simple utterance of the Constable's name in conversation with her mother was enough, to have the woman agree that one 12 month contract in Timmins might be good for her after all. So long as Gail understood that she would receive no financial support whatsoever through that year, and that she was expected to transfer back to the City once the year was up.

"Since you're leaving tomorrow, I feel like we should have a heart-to-heart" he starts before the disgusted and shocked look on his sister's face makes him laugh. "Okay, no heart-to-heart. But tell me: why the OPP? Why Timmins? You've always been such a city girl". He sipped his fresh beer.

Gail knew that when she applied for the posting up north that everyone thought she was doing it to get one last rebellious whim out before bending to the will of their dominant mother. Everyone, her own brother included, was shocked when she actually accepted an offer.

She just shrugged off the questions, sipping at her own recently poured beer, knowing he wouldn't let it go that easily. She was hoping instead that maybe the fire alarm would sound, or that small meteor would hit the ground outside, distracting Steve from the current conversation.

"Come on, Gail. Is it really that big of-" Steve stopped talking as a hand connected with his shoulder and started to shake him. He looks up at the man as he says "PECK! I'm back!"

"Boyd! They finally kicked you off the UC team, huh?" he said as he hugged his friend. Remembering present company he turned to Gail and said "Gail Peck, my sister, this is Detective Donovan Boyd".

Gail nodded to the detective. "Well, I'll leave you boys to it then. I have an early morning and I have a feeling this is about to get rowdy" she looked at Boyd who was so happy to be back at the Black Penny at the moment, he almost seemed to vibrate. Yeah, she didn't need to spend her last night in Toronto getting blackout drunk with her brother and his old Academy buddy.

"Stay for one more drink, Gail, then I promise I'll call you a cab" Steve said, feeling guilty that his sister was being quickly replaced by his old friend, but excited to see him again after a 9 month undercover operation.

"No, really, I'm fine. You boys have fun" she said as slapped Steve on the arm. This was the closest the two siblings ever came to hugging.

"Alright. Drive safe tomorrow."

She was on her way out the door when Dov caught up to her.

"Gail! Are you really going to leave without saying goodbye to us?" He seemed genuinely offended that she hadn't stopped by the rookie table on her way to the exit.

"No. Why would I do that?" she said with a serious expression.

"Come on, just come over and say goodbye! You can even have some of our beer" he gestured over to the fresh pitcher Traci had just brought to their table He knew the way to Gail's heart was through alcohol.

"One drink, Epstein. If anybody gets weird and nostalgic though, I'm leaving" she said as she marched over to her Academy classmates, not waiting for a response from him. She didn't really want to talk to them, they weren't her friends, but she had wanted one last beer, and her first 'one last beer' was currently being enjoyed by Steve's old friend. She was more annoyed that she couldn't finish her drink than she had been at the fact that Boyd had essentially ousted her from her seat at the bar.

"Gail! Are you excited to start with Timmins next week? I can't wait to start with 15 Division! I mean, I've already met some of the training officers here tonight but it's not going to be the same drinking with them as it is working with them. Right? Well, at least I don't think so". Gail immediately tuned out Price as she continued to babble on about how excited she was about being a police officer, and blah, blah, blah. Gail was grateful she wouldn't be around to listen to her chatter about nothing. Although she suspected if she put her ear to the ground up in Timmins, she'd be able to her the faint sound of Chloe Price's never ending drivel, even from 100's of kilometres away.

After she finished her drink, she abruptly stood and headed for the door with a quick "see ya never, losers!".

She had one foot out the door when she was stopped a second time, but this time it was Andy McNally. "Hey, Gail!" she said putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"Can't a girl just go home in peace?" Gail snapped. "What now, McNally? I don't do hugs, if that's why you're here" she said to the brunette as she turned to face her.

"What? No, I didn't come here to hug you" she said, a look of disgust on her face. She noticed the look on Gail's face as she said it, realizing how her words must have sounded. "No, I mean, I'm sorry we won't be working together but I had a favour to ask of you, actually" she said, sheepishly looking to at her feet.

"A favour? Really?"

"Look, I was just wondering if you'd take my card, well, just in case you ever see Constable Beatty again, you know, you could pass it along to him and maybe he could… you know?" she awkwardly played with her hands, looking anywhere but at the blonde who had razor sharp, cerulean eyes that were boring into skull.

Gail started looking over her shoulder at her back. She looked back to the other woman then back over her shoulder again before she said "McNally, is there something on my back?". Confused at the change of conversation, she looked around the blonde's side to her back before looking back at her face. "No, there is nothing on your back" with a bit of trepidation, familiar with Gail's quick temper at the Academy.

"That's right. Because I'm not Cupid. I don't have wings and I don't shoot magical arrows, and I sure as shit am not playing matchmaker for you!". She didn't even give her former classmate a chance to respond before she made it out the door. Hopefully people were better in Timmins, was all she could think.


	3. Chapter 3

A big thank you to those who take the time to review! Your comments mean a lot!

If you want to follow me on tumblr my handle is baileychabot

Enjoy!

**Chapter 3**

She stretched the ever-aching muscles that ran the length of her legs as she slowly pulled herself from a restless sleep. "Who would have thought sleeping on a bare, hardwood floor would be so uncomfortable?" she thought to herself sarcastically.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she sat up and craned her neck from side to side. The awkward shape of her overnight bag/pillow meant that her head was never in line with her body through the night. She tried to turn her head to look over her right should and realized she could only turn half-way. She tried to massage the kink out of her neck but it only made the pain worse, so she gave up and decided there were worse things than a sore neck.

The sleepless night she had just spent without a comfortable place to lie down made her hyper aware of the fact that she needed to invest in a bed. Thinking of her bank account she revised that thought: a futon would do. Well, a futon would do for now, until she could afford a nice, big bed.

She picked up her phone and turned it back on as she headed for the separate kitchen. The entire process brought her a total of seven feet away from her original spot, but the change of scenery was welcome, despite the fact that her eyes now registered bland, white tile instead of bland, white walls.

The first thing she did when her phone registered a signal was open up her emails and re-read the ad and correspondence she had shared with her landlord. After last night's embarrassing late night call, she was going to be sure she understood exactly what was going to be involved in being a tenant. She looked at the pictures again, jealous of the hideous bedding the previous tenant owned. She had never felt so mocked by something so inanimate and unsightly in her life. Annoyed, she scanned past the photos and looked over the ad.

"All utilities included" she said aloud, thinking if her ears heard it as her eyes read the sentence it might make more sense. "Well, if it's included, then I guess I don't have to worry about it" she decided.

"Internet, cable, phone not included" she continued. She was okay without the phone- she had a cell phone and she certainly wasn't naïve enough to think she could convince a landlord to pay her cell phone bill. But no internet or cable? Who lived like that?

"I guess I know what I'm doing today" she said, knowing the data plan on her phone certainly wouldn't be enough for her to survive living in Timmins without an actual connection. Internet was priority number one. If she had internet, she could access her Netflix account and watch TV on her laptop, killing two birds with one stone. Cable would come when she could afford a television. She let herself imagine a beautiful, new flat screen TV with the latest gaming console attached, the surround sound and subwoofers exploding with sound as she made a head shot on her favourite game.

"One thing at a time, Peck" she tried to reign herself in from the reverie. First thing she'd do today is get herself some Wi-Fi, followed by the purchase of a bed. After that, she'd buy some groceries and get one with the business of living in this town. She could do that, she tried to convince herself, keeping the overwhelming feeling of panic at bay.

After looking up the companies that serviced the area and making a few phone calls, she was not pleased.

"NEXT Thursday?" she said, emphasising the word 'next' just so the agent was aware of _exactly _how unimpressed she was. "There is no earlier appointment to get someone out here and connect the internet?" she fumed as Dave, the unfortunate soul to get her call, tried to explain to her that there was only one technician in the area and he was on holiday this week.

"I'm sorry Ms. Peck, that's the earliest I have available" he apologized again knowing it wouldn't be the last time in this conversation he'd utter the words.

"Fine" she said, putting every ounce of anger and frustration she'd felt since she arrived late last night into the monosyllabic, four letter word. "I'll take the appointment. What time should I expect him?"

"He'll be by sometime between the hours of 8:30am and 5:30pm" Dave said, feeling relief that the angry customer had agreed to the appointment. The silence at the other end of the line made him aware that the reprieve from her anger was going to be short lived.

"That is NOT an appointment Dave, that is me taking an ENTIRE day off from my life to sit in my apartment and wait for a man to show up" she said in a controlled tone, clenching her jaw to stop herself from screaming into her phone. She was aware of the fact that she was so much more angry that this conversation was another reminder of how little she knew about life, rather than the inconvenience it was actually causing her.

"I'm sorr-" Dave started to say again before he was cut off by the woman at the other end of the line.

"Just book me in" she said, rubbing her neck that seemed to be getting more painful as the stress of the phone call caused her muscles to strain.

"Okay!" Dave said, glad to be moving to the easy part of the conversation, his eagerness to get this woman out of his ear obvious in his tone. "I just need your physical address, phone number, and a card that we can charge the $157.99 to and we'll be all set!"

"$157.99?!"

"Yes," he replied, timidly, "$47.99 for the first month and $110.00 for the installation."

She took a deep breath. She tried not to think of her bank account. She knew she had the funds but if she paid for this now, the futon might have to be a cot. She could still be comfortable on a cot, she thought, but she'd go crazy without the internet.

"Fine" she sighed, resigned to her fate, "but if the technician can't make the appointment NEXT Thursday, you're going to wave the installation fee for the inconvenience it will cause me". She felt a little bit more in control after making the demand.

Once Dave confirmed that the money had been received by the telecom company that Gail had to send via money transfer, she checked her account balance. Having her old credit card would have allowed her to pay the charge at the end of the month, once she had started earning an income, but the 'no financial support' part of the deal she struck with her mother meant that she only had her aging debit card. It also meant she had just taken another critical hit in the financial department. She had forgotten she had to get her oil changed before she made she trip here. She wasn't 100% sure, but she was fairly sure she wouldn't be buying a bed today, unless she could find one for under $100.

She tried not to let her frustration get the best of her and throw her phone against the wall. She started pacing, hoping the movement would help calm her. It only caused her to feel more claustrophobic. As her breathing became more laboured and the walls started to feel like they were closing in, she shoved her feet into her shoes and ran out the door, hoping some fresh air would help her to relax.

Once she left the building she started walking, doing a couple of laps of the small block her complex was situated on. On her third lap she started to feel better, the anxiety ebbing, and the crisp, September air clearing her lungs.

"Alright, now I only need to figure out the sleeping situation" she tried to make the task seem a simple one as she reached for the glass door that was the entrance to her complex. It didn't budge.

"Fuck" she exhaled as she rested her forehead on the handle. In her panicked exit she had forgotten her keys.

She tried pulling on the handle on the off chance she had just not pulled hard enough the first try. Nothing. She didn't have her phone to call the landlord, although she doubted she would call him even if she had grabbed it. She looked for the apartment's buzzer pad thinking she could buzz a neighbour and they'd let her in but the small complex didn't have one.

A very small and very irrational thought popped into her head. "This is all my mother's fault" the voice said. Gail couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of her own subconscious. As childish as Gail could be, she knew that she had chosen to come here and it was her mother who had tried to convince her otherwise. Despite this, she did feel a bit better blaming someone else for her misfortunes and Elaine was a prime candidate.

The small laugh was enough to brighten her mood, or at least, pull her back from the dark pit she could feel herself falling in to. Knowing she was locked out of the complex she tried the door for a third time anyway.

"Time for Plan B" she said, looking up at the windows that were her apartment. She knew she'd be able to climb the eavestrough that ran next to her open living room window. She was more concerned that one of her neighbours would report a peeping tom or that a passerby would think she was a Spiderman wannabe hopped up on meth. Either way, if someone saw her, they weren't going to think she was a woman in her right mind. She proceeded anyway.

Standing in front of the eavestrough that ran from the roof to the ground, she tentatively placed her foot on it to test it's sturdiness. Convinced the aluminum would hold her weight, she started her climb. Her thoughts moved to the other residents of the complex, hoping that the apartments below hers were either empty or their occupants weren't home.

She peeked in the window of the first floor resident, curiosity getting the best of her. She told herself that she wouldn't be looking through this stranger's windows if it weren't for her being locked out, so really it wasn't creepy at all.

The tenant of the one bedroom two floors below hers wasn't home. She was grateful for it, because if he had caught her peeking through his window with the disgusted and judgemental look she had on her face she knew he'd call the cops for sure. But seriously, how many doilies does one human need? And why would anyone think they'd make good wall hangings? She was certain they'd stopped producing furniture in that puke-looking green at least four decades ago and she could smell the moth balls through the closed window. Gross.

She continued to shuffle up the wall as quickly as she could, becoming more tentative as she approached the second story apartment. She couldn't help but look into the window as her eyes came level with the bottom of the window. She was greeted with a much more pleasant view this time. Tasteful-even if it was mismatched- furniture, a bookcase stuffed with books and DVDs, and a panoramic mountain scape hung framed on the wall opposite her current place in space. She liked the owner's taste; cute but not frilly, and practical. She was wondering where she could find a leather sofa like that when she noticed a very real woman looking back at her. Gail hadn't noticed her at first because she'd been in the background coming out of the bedroom, but the look on the woman's face said she had seen Gail as soon as her blonde head broke the horizon of the view from her living room.

Gail froze as her eyes met a pair of deep chocolate irises belonging to the woman whose apartment she had been eye-fucking seconds ago. Her shock at being discovered almost caused her to let go of the metal she was clinging to, but the emotion was quickly replaced by confusion. Gail knew she wasn't the best at reading people's faces, but this woman didn't seem angry. Or scared. Or even remotely upset. Instead the woman just stood there with a curious look in her eye and a half-grin, half-smirk, crooked sort of smile on her lips.

At least that's what it had seemed like as she kicked it into high gear and clambered the rest of the way up and threw herself through her own living room window before her downstairs neighbour could get a good description on her to give to the cops. So far, she had not made very good first impressions with the people she'd encountered in her new town. Some things never change.

XXXXXXXXXX

Deciding she at least needed groceries, she showered and dressed and had gotten into her car. On her way out the door she briefly considered knocking on the downstairs tenant's door to… apologize? Explain herself? She wasn't really sure how to atone for slithering up the drain pipe and peeking into another person's living space, regardless of the reason, so she just decided the best course of action was to pretend that it had ever happened and dodge the woman for the foreseeable future.

The first grocery store she had come across looked to be one of the discount chains she had seen in Toronto. To her they always looked dilapidated and run-down. She had never actually set foot in one, or really, any grocery store. Reminding herself she had very limited funds, she walked through the front door. She tried to quash her judgemental opinions, or at least not let them show on her face, while she repeatedly applied hand sanitizer. She was doing a good job of ignoring the feeling that there were germs on everything when she turned the corner into the bulk bin section.

She arrived with just enough time to witness an old woman wipe her nose with the back of her hand before stuffing it into the chocolate chip bin. Gail dropped everything she was carrying and ran right out the door. Cheap prices be damned, she'd go hungry before she ate another woman's boogers.

Once she found a store that she deemed acceptable and had given herself a much needed pep-talk, with a time-out to check to see if there were any all-you-can eat restaurants near her apartment complex that she could eat at once a day instead of heading into another germ assault that is a grocery store, she had marched through the front door with resolve to not leave until she'd purchased enough food to get her through to her first paycheque.

She figured $50 was all she'd need since everyone always talked about how cheap eating at home was. She was sorely mistaken. Despite the Pizza Pops being on-sale, and only buying one bag of cheese puffs, she had come out of the store with only two relatively full plastic bags and was less the $50 she had originally set out on spending. She was stunned. Who would pay $4 for two litres of milk? She could eat that entire $7 brick of cheese in a single meal!

She had decided on mostly frozen, all pre-packaged food items. She told herself it was because she wouldn't have to risk throwing it out if she knew it wouldn't expire like the fresh produce would, but she also knew it was because nobody else could have touched any of the items she had purchased. She thought of that old woman whenever she looked at the fruits and vegetables, all exposed for anyone to taint. She shivered thinking back to the first store as she put her purchases in the trunk of her car.

XXXXXXXXXX

She looks at the cherub figurine in her hand, rolling it over and over, examining the cracks and chips on its chubby arms. She sets it down next to its twin. Or rather, she sets it among the seven other nearly identical porcelain statuettes, next to the one that it mirrored in its pose.

Next to the rosy cheeked characters sat a collection of ashtrays, some glass, some metal, and one, oddly enough, made of plaster cigarettes. There were at least thirty different ashtrays and most looked older than her. She was surprised that people still had ashtrays, let alone an interest in acquiring them. If she were more self-aware she may have considered the fact that some people like to collect things, ashtrays a prime collectible possibility. Instead she just thought people were disgusting for having such habits, her practical nature unable to see beyond the functionality of an item.

Having completed her foray into the world of shopping for sustenance, she had decided that she couldn't just sit in her apartment all night. She could feel the demons crawling out from the dark shadows of her mind and she needed a distraction. She thought a tour of Timmins was in order, having only seen it at night. Well, really, having not seen it at all, she thought. When she arrived last night, she was too tired to pay attention to anything other than the voice on the GPS unit commanding her car left, then right, then right again, eventually bringing her to one bedroom apartment.

She seriously entertained the idea of taking the bus, having seen a stop just outside the front of her complex. She needed to save money any way she could and gas was not cheap here. She figured if she just got on a bus in front of her house it would eventually take her right back again after it completed its loop. She was actually familiar with public transportation, having spent many hours on the Toronto Transit Authority as a kid after her mother would abandon her wherever they had spent the day. It was a test, as most things throughout her childhood had been, to see if she could find her way back to their suburban home.

Having inherited her mother's stubborn streak, Gail refused to cry, even at the tender age of 8, when she realized that her mother was no longer next to her in the junior section of the Easton Centre's Hudson's Bay. She had suspected this would happen when her mother had given her a few loonies earlier in the day "just in case". Even as a child, Gail knew her mother didn't do anything without cause.

This was how she became comfortable with the public transportation system of her home city. She actually enjoyed it, although she refused to admit it. Giving her mother any indication that this was a good way to build character in her painfully shy daughter was not something Gail wanted to do. She had, however, liked watching the city change from tall sky-scrapers, to medium and low-rise apartments, to the eventual landscape of single detached houses that was her neighbourhood.

The busses, streetcars, and subways were, ironically, also where Gail developed her germophobic tendencies. Every time she walked through the front door some hours after noticing the absence of the controlling presence of her mother, Elaine would meet her at the front door, give her a quick nod, and usher her to the bathroom. Gail had to then shower and change her clothes. She never explicitly said so, but the words were never needed; the action of being forced to wash off 'the dirt' of the public spoke volumes in and of itself. This Pavlovian situation made Gail start to feel the grit and grime whenever she was someplace public. Movie theatre seats, the handle of the door at McDonald's- anywhere humans placed their germy selves Gail tried to avoid.

Curiously, this was never the case for riding public transit. She occasionally noticed a person who maybe should have showered today, or even this week, but for the most part the peace that came with knowing she would never see her mother sitting next to her on the Bloor-Danforth line that would bring her back home was all she needed. It became something of a safe haven for the young blonde, a respite from her mother.

Despite Gail's actual enjoyment of this particular mode of transportation, she had had no desire to stand outside and wait for an actual bus to come by this evening. She could have checked the schedule online, but she was dangerously close to going over on her data plan and she couldn't afford the exorbitant charges exceeding her limit would incur. So the car it would have to be.

She drove around town, heading nowhere in particular. It was when she yawned that she remembered last night's awful slumber and the thought of the misery that would be tonight was enough to force Gail into action. She couldn't afford anything new, but maybe- just maybe- she'd be able to find something at a second hand store that would pass. She figured if she could find a decent futon, or even just a set of couch cushions, she could buy a shower liner to create a barrier between herself and her makeshift bed.

Somewhere between the determination to find a solution to her sleeping situation and the bed and appliance section of the second-hand store, she'd found herself distracted by people's discarded items. This was how she ended up examining a cherub figurine, feeling a sense of loss for the angelic face looking back at her.

By the time she actually reached the back of the store where the larger items were kept, she had fallen into a funk. Perusing the second-hand household wares had made her feel downright melancholic. Learning that the only option the store offered her other than a practically brand new futon being sold for a whopping $150 (WAY out of her price range) was an ottoman, did not help her mood. The employee actually suggested the ottoman as a viable option when the blonde asked the woman for suggestions. Gail was not impressed and just silently stared at the woman until she got uncomfortable and walked away.

Resigning herself to her fate of sore necks and aching muscles for the next few weeks, she left the store without making a single purchase. Walking down the sidewalk to her car, she noticed signs for a closing-out sale that a store down the way was having. She had little hope but given her circumstance she would not be worse for trying.

XXXXXXXXXX

With her stomach full of warm Pizza Pops and a half a bag of cheese puffs (she had trouble with impulse control when it came to food), she decided that she needed a shower to wash off the last bits of sadness the second hand store had brought on. By the time she finished the last verse of _Killing Me Softly_ she had rinsed the last of the conditioner out. She was reaching for her towel when her foot lost its traction on the tile floor. She felt herself falling to the ground and instinctively put her hand out to brace her fall.

The searing pain Gail felt shoot up her arm let her know something was wrong before she even had a chance to look. Her body reacted by pulling her hand back to her body before her brain had a chance to say otherwise, causing a second excruciating pain to rip through her limb. When she finally looked to see the cause of her agony she was confronted with a blood spattered floorboard radiator. She realized she'd cut herself on the jagged corner and was probably going to need stitches gauging by the amount of blood left behind and the heavy throbbing she felt emanating from her wrist. A trip to the ER was confirmed when she finally looked at her injury. She couldn't even tell exactly where she had been cut because the blood was pouring out and spilling on the floor, making a mess of her alabaster skin on its way.

"Fuck!", she swore aloud, "I can't fucking believe this!" She was accustomed to feeling her own self-loathing when she felt she wasn't up to par, but Gail was usually sure-footed and agile. People had even commented that her balance was cat-like, which had caused her jump right past angry to irate that she had slipped so mindlessly on the water on the floor.

Knowing better than to get behind the wheel of her car in her current state of rage, and with only one good arm to boot, she found the number of a cab company and called for a ride. In the time it took the taxi to arrive, she dressed and headed out the door to wait, keeping the towel wrapped around her injury.

As the cab pulled up, she hopped in before the driver came to a complete stop and said "take me to the nearest hospital!".

"There's only one hospital in this town, sweetheart" the middle-aged, balding man laughed, "unless you want me to take you to North Bay, but that'll be a few hundred".

"Obviously I don't want you to take me to North Bay" she sneered "but I don't know what the hospital is called here so I couldn't ask you to take me there specifically".

"Alright, alright, to the hospital we go!" he said, still trying to banter with her. The pair of stone cold eyes that were staring at him in the rear view mirror told him that conversation was not going to be appreciated on this fare.

"Why are you driving so slowly?" she demanded.

"I'm going the speed limit, my dear". The man tried not to let the woman get on his nerves. "Besides, if it were an emergency, you wold have called an- OH MY GOD! YOU'RE BLEEDING IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY CAR! WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL AN AMBULANCE?!" the man shouted at Gail when he noticed the blood-soaked towel around her arm.

"Because I don't need an ambulance, I need a doctor" she replied, her words dripping with disdain. The ashen faced man slammed his foot on the accelerator, no longer interested in cute conversations, or traffic laws for that matter.

Gail moved quickly from the triage nurse to bed, being hooked up to a heart monitor and an IV line. The look on the nurse's face told her things were serious. She was not happy. The last thing she needed before she started work tomorrow was emergency surgery.

Gail stared at her arm as the nurse applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Didn't this woman understand that it was unnecessary for her to stomp on her patient's arm like an elephant doing a line dance? She didn't look away when she heard the curtain slide open a second time. "Listen, doc" she said still staring at the nurse, "I can't be here all night so just stitch me up and send me on my way".

"Just let me see what I'm dealing with here and then we can talk" the physician replied.

Gail was surprised to hear the silky mezzo-soprano of a woman rather than the tenor of a man based simply on the force with which the MD had opened the curtain. She looked up to see the face belonging to the voice and was met with a round face with olive toned skin, full lips, high cheek bones, and brown eyes. Deep, chocolate brown eyes. If she hadn't recognized the eyes, the half-smile would have given the doctor away.

"Shit" was all Gail could manage to say.


	4. Chapter 4

A big thank you to those who take the time to review! Your comments mean a lot!

I have the next couple of chapters planned but I'm considering taking suggestions after that. I'll let you know when we get to that point so you can submit your ideas

If you want to follow me on tumblr my handle is baileychabot

Enjoy!

**Chapter 4**

"Shit" was all Gail could manage to say.

The eyes. Deep, chocolate eyes that could tell Gail the secrets of the universe if she could just stare into them long enough, eyes so rich that chocolatiers in Belgium could spend a lifetime studying them and still not be able to match their fullness. Gail was mesmerized. She was pulled from her reverie when the nurse started spouting out medical speak to the doctor.

And then it hit Gail why she felt deep waves of embarrassment and awkwardness being buried by the sense of awe she felt. Here stood the woman who lived below her- the woman whose window Gail had peered through earlier in the day, the woman who should have called the cops on her, but for some reason didn't. And she was going to sew Gail back up.

"Shit" she said again, "please don't amputate my arm" she begged, wondering if this woman was the vindictive type. She watched the nurse leave and silently prayed for her return thinking that witnesses would be necessary.

"Amputate?" the doctor looked at her with an amused expression. "First you're telling me to just patch you up and send you on your way and now you think you might lose your limb? What just happened in the last ten seconds?" she asked, trying not to laugh.

"Well… you know" was all the blonde could muster as her skin flushed

The physician just smiled at her bashful patient. "Why don't we start by telling me what happened…" she let her sentence trail off.

"Gail. Peck" she responded, finding her voice once more. "Officer Gail Peck" she added hoping the distinction as a police woman would give her more credibility given the events of the afternoon. She said it so meekly that the effect she had been hoping for fell flat.

"Well, _Officer Gail Peck_, what happened to your arm?" the physician asked again, using a super serious tone when saying her name. Gail wasn't sure if she was mocking her or trying to make her feel at ease. She felt that given the circumstances it was the latter and she was appreciative.

"I slipped getting out of the shower" she said under her breath.

"Wait, what? Spiderman slipped getting out of the shower? That doesn't sound good for Gotham City! I guess I better do my best fixing her up otherwise Loki might take over while she's healing".

Gail's humiliation was overpowered by sheer annoyance. "Okay, first off, Spider_man _is a man; I'd be Spider_woman_. Second of all, _Batman _protects Gotham City, not Spiderman. Third, Loki is _Thor's_ archenemy _and _lives in Asgard, not Earth. Finally, none of that matters because I don't go out of commission when I'm healing" she finished with a self-satisfied grin.

The doctor laughed. Gail loved the way her voice sounded when she laughed. It was genuine and light.

"I know, I was just teasing you. I saw your comic book collection in the back of your car".

Gail's jaw dropped. "You were looking through my car?" She couldn't stop the accusatory tone.

"Yes" was the only reply she got while the doctor pulled on latex gloves and started looking over the wound. The blonde just stared in stunned silence.

"You're definitely going to need some stitches, probably quite a few. And it only seemed fair to look through the windows of your car after I had caught you looking through the windows of my living room. We're also going to have to cast you from the elbow down to protect the sutures while you heal" the doctor said as she finished examining Gail's injuries.

"A cast?! Doc, my first day is tomorrow! I can't go in with my arm in a cast!" the officer pled.

"Stewart"

"What?" Gail replied in a confused tone.

"Doctor Stewart. That's my name" the physician said.

"Okay, _Doctor Stewart_, but I still can't go into work with a broken wing. It's not a good look on a police officer".

"Your arm isn't broken Officer, and you'll have full use, but you need it to protect the wound so it can heal and so the stitches won't tear. Given your ability to literally climb the walls I think a cast is a necessary precaution."

"No" was all the stubborn blonde uttered. The now named doctor just looked up at the blonde.

"Okay."

"What?"

"Okay. I won't put you in a cast." The doctor looked at her with a serious expression.

"Um, thanks" Gail replied in a quiet voice l00king away from the doctor's caring gaze.

"But I'm giving you a wrist brace and you have to promise me you'll wear it. Is that a fair compromise, Officer?"

"Uh, I guess I can do that". Gail tried for nonchalance but landed somewhere closer to quiet resignation. She wasn't sure why this woman was being so nice to her when their only interaction so far had included the blonde invading the doctor's privacy.

"Good. I'm going to get the suture kit now. I'll be right back."

Thirty minutes and 45 stitches later Dr. Stewart was putting the brace over the injured limb. Gail was feeling pretty good from the painkillers she was given and was thinking that the brace actually looked pretty bad ass. She thought she looked like an Iron Man prototype. Really early prototype that wasn't as cool, didn't light up, and couldn't make her fly. But in her addled state, she still thought it was awesome.

"Gail, you need to wear this all the time and you can't get the stitches wet. Gail?" the concerned doctor was trying to talk to the blonde but couldn't get through to her. The police woman was too busy pretending her new arm could give her super strengths. She was currently trying to shoot lasers from the metal and neoprene brace without much success.

"I was going to write you a script for painkillers but I think you'll be fine with Ibuprofen" the doctor said to no one in particular as she watched the blonde test the telekinetic powers of the arm brace. Unfortunately the cotton balls on the medical tray were refusing to budge, but the blonde was not deterred.

"Gail, we're going to keep you here for a little bit longer to make sure you're okay. I'm going to put my aftercare instructions in your shirt pocket, alright? Please don't lose these and _please_ follow them." The doctor was hoping the blonde would remember the instructions tomorrow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Her alarm clock went off at 6am sharp. The shrill ringing that interrupted her deep sleep was not welcome. She threw an arm out of her bedding to silence the offensive noise when the sharp pain reminded her that she had been injured.

"Ahhhh!" she tried to scream but the frog in her throat and her sleepy state of mind made it hard.

She tried to tuck the throbbing limb back into her blanket hoping it would help ease the pain when she heard a crinkling underneath her. She used her good arm to dig into her pocket to find a note.

"Jesus. Someone wrote me a note? Did I stumble back into middle school last night?" the grouchy woman said as she started opening the hand written missive.

_Officer Gail Peck_

_Please follow all of these instructions to the letter. First of all, only take the brace off when you're showering and that's only to keep it from getting wet. Yes, you have to wear it at work and while you sleep. Second, DO NOT get the bandages wet. You need to keep the wound dry so it can heal. Third, try not to use the arm too much. The brace is there to protect it but there is still a possibility that you could rip a stitch. Finally, if there are any signs of infection PLEASE come back and see me. Otherwise your follow up appointment is set for two weeks on Tuesday. _

_If you need anything at all please don't hesitate to call me. My office number is 705-268-3245._

_Dr. Holly Stewart_

_PS Good luck on your first day!_

_PPS Loki DID come to Earth on several occasions. I guess you haven't made it that far into the comics yet ;)_

After the second read the blonde was brought back to the ER last night. The doctor, who is also her neighbour, with those eyes. That was the only way she could think to describe them. Those eyes. She wasn't even sure what that meant. She remembered the brunette doctor as being kind and caring but also good humoured. "Was she teasing me at one point?" Gail thought to herself. She couldn't quite remember.

She didn't have time to focus on the woman who put her back together again, she had to get ready for her first shift with the Timmins detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. She was eternally grateful for the closing out sale she found because her new sleeping arrangement, although not ideal, was exponentially better than sleeping on the floor. She felt rested. It could have been the coma-like sleep that came from her body processing the narcotics, but either way, she felt ready for her first day as a cop.

For the first time in a long time she was excited.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Good morning, children. I am Officer Oliver Shaw and you can address me as such. I will be training both of you. If you bring me donuts I will like you more, but if you tell my wife about the donuts, I won't like you at all." The balding man said with a smile to Gail and the overexcited officer sitting next to her. She could tell already that she would get along with this man. Well, as well as Gail Peck could get along with another person.

"Let's see" the training officer continued, "Diaz-"

"That's me, sir!" The excited man next to Gail smiled so brightly Gail was sure he was about to dislocate his jaw.

"Right, Diaz, hold your horses" Shaw replied.

"I'm sorry sir. I'm just so excited to be here. I love everything about this job!"

Gail turned her head to take in this ball of joy. He had short, dark, neatly trimmed hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. His rosy cheeks and the twinkle in his eye gave him a boyish look while the rest of his body screamed man. Even from his seated position she could tell that he was tall. His body was lean and muscular, but not overly so. What struck Gail most about this man though, was the shiny metal accessory on his left hand: a wedding band.

Shaw just looked at the rookie and chuckled. "That's great Diaz. I love the enthusiasm but dial it down a bit. You aren't going to be doing anything without my first saying so for a long time. That goes for you too…" he looked down at his sheet to check Gail's name, "Peck. Got it?"

"Yes, sir" the rookies replied in unison.

"Good. Day one: paperwork!" the Shaw says with glee. "Get used to it kids, this is the life of an officer."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So Peck. I'm Diaz, Chris Diaz." he said to Gail minutes after Shaw set them up at computers with boxes of files that needed to be digitized. She just looked at him.

"Is there something before the 'Peck' part of your name?" he tried again.

"No"

"Your name is just 'Peck'?". The unflappability of his demeanor rubbed Gail the wrong way. Why was he so happy?

"I don't have a first name" she replied flatly.

"Oh, come on! We're in this together." Another ear to ear grin from the man she was going to be spending a lot of time with. She responded with silence.

"If you won't tell me your name, will you tell me what happened to your hand?" he asked looking at her brace. She instinctively tried to hide it from his line of sight.

"I hurt it punching Curious George in the face". He continued to smile, the sarcasm in her voice not affecting him in the least.

"Will you tell me your name then, since you won't tell me what happened?" he continued his barrage of questions. She just rolled her eyes at him.

"Fine! I'll just guess. I can digitize and talk" he said refusing to accept that the blonde woman didn't want to talk to him.

"Let me see… Peck is what, Irish? Welsh? English?" he looked at the his unwilling conversational mate for a clue. "I'll go with English" he decided. "Okay, is it Emily? Jessica? Jennifer?"

"Do I look like a 'Jessica' to you?" She just wanted to get this work done quietly.

"What? It's from _The Merchant of Venice_. Shakespeare made that name up. I think that's cool." He smiled again. Gail glared.

"How about 'Anne'?"

"Please stop with the Shakespeare references."

Chris looked at her hoping she would continue and maybe give him a hint. She just kept typing on her computer.

"You know, you might think you aren't here to make friends and I get that. But it doesn't mean that we can't be friendly. We're going to have to trust each other." Gail looked up at him, surprised by his sudden change in demeanor. Even when his lips weren't smiling his eyes still were. "There must be something in the water here" she thought to herself.

"Fine. I might tell you my name if you tell me why you're married." She had agreed with his statement about trusting the other but she wasn't going to let him win that easily. He'd have to work for it.

"Why I'm married?" he was genuinely amused by the question. "Because I'm in love, I've met the person that I want to commit the rest of my life to, and because life is too long not to spend it with someone you care about." His smile was back. He obviously liked being married.

"How old are you, anyway?" the blonde asked. His soliloquy was truthful and part of it made sense to her, but she'd never show it. "You look like you're twelve".

"It's my baby face" he says with a sheepish grin. "I'll be 24 next month".

"And how long have you been married?" her curiosity still not satisfied.

"Almost three years" he replied with the biggest smile she's seen on him yet. "I married my high school sweetheart" he continued as he gazed contentedly at his left hand.

"Why?" she asked again.

"I told you- because we love each other."

"Aren't you afraid junkies will want to rip the ring off your hand? Hock it for cash?" she asked in a completely serious tone. His face turned somber, looking at the piece of jewelry that tied him to another soul.

"I guess I haven't really thought about that" he started to nervously turn the medal ring around his finger with his right hand. "It's not even worth that much. We got married young and couldn't really afford a nice set. I don't know if I can take it off though" the last part of his statement trailed off with his thoughts.

"If I get stabbed protecting you from some low-life trying to steal that ring, I'll cut off your finger and hock it myself, finger and all" she said in a deadpan voice with a closed mouth smile. "Food for thought Diaz".

"My ring won't get you stabbed Peck. You owe me your name now that I've told you about my marriage" he puffed his chest, feeling like he'd won this round.

"I said 'maybe'. And right now I'm thinking 'no'."

"What?" his chest deflated. "Come on, I'm a nice guy and we're going to be partners. How do you expect me to trust you if you won't even tell me your name!" he tried.

"If I tell you my name will you promise not to talk to me for the rest of the shift?" she asked.

"Fine" he agreed.

"It's Gail" she answered. He quietly nodded at her with a smile and turned to his computer.

XXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the shift passed in blessed silence. Gail appreciated that Chris was good on his word and didn't make another sound for the rest of their shift. He even kept his word as they parted ways at the locker room doors, offering a wave and a nod as a goodbye. She just shook her head at him and smiled.

She was walking out the door to her car when she heard him behind her.

"Hey Gail! What are you doing tonight?" he asked.

"I thought we agreed that you weren't going to talk to me for the rest of shift?"

"Shift ended! Why don't you come get a drink with me? My treat for a great first day!" he said beaming, truly believe today had been great.

She felt conflicted. She wanted a drink. Badly. Him offering to pay was the only way she'd be getting any alcohol any time soon. She sighed in frustration. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time with him but she wanted tequila more.

"Fine" she replied.

"Really!? Awesome!" he tried to high five her but she just stared at his hand. The glint of his wedding band in the sun caught her eye.

"Are you sure your wife won't be pissed that you're taking a hot blonde out for a drink?" she asked him with a humourless smile. Gail did not want to associate herself with philandering men. He didn't seem fazed at all and actually laughed quietly to himself.

"I promise you, it won't be a problem" he said with a knowing look.

She wasn't sure what to think of his response but it seemed genuine. His marriage was his own problem she decided. If he tried anything at all, she'd leave. And tell his wife. But she needed a drink.

"Where are we going?"

"There is a place not far from here called _The Black Penny_. It's a cop bar." He gave her the address and the agreed to meet there.

Once he paid for the pitcher of beer he ordered, Chris pointed to a table in the corner, two of the four seats already occupied. "That's us!" he said.

Normally Gail would have been angry at having to interact with strangers but was glad for the two men at their table. She'd be able to sit in silence and enjoy her been while the conversation happened around her. She was sitting in her seat, preparing to grin and bear the introductions when she looked at Chris. Who was kissing the man next to him.

He looked over at Gail and said "Dennis, this is my partner Gail Peck. Gail, this is my husband Dennis Diaz". She shook his hand without a word. "And this is Aaron Samuels, my friend and fellow officer" he said as he pointed to the man next to Gail.

She tried to look at the man Chris was pointing at, but was distracted by the stream of thoughts going through her brain. Had Chris once indicated that the gender of his spouse was male? Why had she assumed that he married a woman? Was it because he said 'high school sweetheart'? Gail was an open-minded person. Quite frankly, she didn't care what anyone did so long as it didn't affect her life negatively. She was more concerned that she had made such an inaccurate assumption. She had been trained her entire childhood not to assume because that's how a police officer got into trouble.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the man beside her. "So, you're the one they hired?" he said in a voice that was borderline menacing. She heard the threat immediately and that snapped her back to the moment.

"Yes, I was hired by the Timmins detachment. Why do you care?" she did not like this man already.

"Because, that was my job. And you took it." She could smell the beer on his breath and see the glaze over his eyes. Despite his intoxication, she was not going to let this slide.

"Come on, Samuels. You know she didn't steal your job, she got it fair and square" Chris came to her defence. "You'll get in on the next rotation. You're-"

"Shut it, Diaz!" Samuels interrupted his friend. "You know that job was mine! I'll bet princess over here had mommy and daddy call in a favour for her. Look, she's even hurt!" he started to cackle at the sight of her injured limb. The mention of her parents using their power to get her this job and not her own merit was what sent her over the edge.

"Hey asshole!" she shouted at him, just to make sure he was listening. "I'm only going to say this once so listen up. I got this job because I finished first in the Academy my year. I have a degree in Criminology from the University of Toronto, where I also finished at the top of my class, and I aced my physical. You were NOT chosen because you obviously have a sense of entitlement and a possibly a drinking problem, if you're already drunk at 5pm on a Monday."

The smile that had been on his faced was wiped clean with her words. His expression turned to rage. "Fuck you! I've been volunteering at this detachment for three years! They all know me. You obviously slept with someone otherwise I'd be there, not you!" he growled at her.

"Samuels, come on , man. Stop this. She's a good cop and doesn't deserve this" Chris tried to reach out and touch his friend's shoulder. Samuels reacted to the gesture as a perceived threat and tried to grab Chris by the collar. "Stop it! Why are you doing this?!" Chris was trying to calm the out of control Samuels while his husband started collecting their things.

"Come on, Aaron, let's get you home and we can-" Dennis was trying to give Aaron his coat when the drunk man tried to swing at him. The fist was blocked by Gail's closest arm, unfortunately, the injured one.

"Ahhhh!" was all she could blurt out. She slammed her good hand on the table in total frustration and anger. She couldn't believe her luck. All she had wanted was a drink and now she was going to have to leave because of this moron.

Chris grabbed his friend by his shirt and pressed him up against the wall.

"Samuels, I've known you for a long time, but if you EVER try to lay another hand on Dennis, I will make sure your life is a living hell. I don't care how drunk you might be, you will NEVER do that again". The look in his eyes was fire, fire that had eviscerated the twinkle. Gail relaxed slightly, feeling good about her future policing partner.

She was dragged back to reality by the sharp pains that were dancing through the part of her arm that was covered by the brace. She took the brace off to examine the bandages. They were already turning red, soaking up her blood.

"I'm so sorry, Gail" Dennis whispered to the woman as he tried to collect the rest of his things while his husband pushed Samuels out the door. "He isn't usually like this, he's just been going through some stuff". He looked at her and noticed her arm.

"Oh! You need to see a doctor! You've probably ripped a stitch!" he said.

"It's fine" she replied, just wanting to go home. She did not want to spend the night waiting in the ER to be patched back up again.

"Are you sure?" Dennis obviously had a long night of dealing with Samuels ahead of him. The relief at not having to also worry for this woman he had just met come through in his voice.

"I'm sure. They told me this could happen. I'm fine" she said as she grabbed her coat and walked out the door.

Half-way home she recognized that she probably should have called a cab. The searing pain in her left arm was making it difficult to focus on the road ahead and driving with only one hand was not the safest either.

When she finally made it to her parking lot, she had started bleeding through the cotton of her bandaging and the blood was dripping down her arm. She grabbed some napkins to try to staunch the flow while she decided what her plan of action would be. She was fumbling with the keys to the front door when an arm reached around her and opened the door with their own set of keys. She turned to see who it was to be met by Dr. Stewart. "God" Gail thought, "I'm never going to get away from this woman!"

The doctor pulled the earbuds from her ears and smiled her crooked smile while she looked at Gail.

"Hi Officer Peck. How is your ar-" she stopped talking when she saw the re-injured arm. "Are you alright? What happened?" her voice full of concern.

"It was nothing" Gail tried to lie, looking away from the caring gaze of her neighbour.

"I think you've probably torn a few stitches. Come on. I'll take you upstairs and fix you up. Are you the unit above mine? I'll grab my stuff and meet you at your place" she said with a kind smile.

Gail wasn't sure why but she was glad that this woman was going to help her. Again. Even though she didn't deserve it. She was going to give a snarky retort but when she opened her mouth the only thing that came out was a soft "thank you".

Gail let the doctor into her apartment. She took a quick scan of the place and said "I like your simple style. Nothing to clutter the place with", the crooked smile on her lips reappeared. "Just take a seat on your bed here and I'll patch you back up. Again."

Gail did as she was told and set on her bed.

"So how was your first day?" the doctor asked as she undressed the wound.

"It was fine. Boring, really. I had to digitize old files" the blonde replied without even realizing she had.

"Sounds dangerous. How did this happen then? Did you decide you work better on the roof?" the doctor joked.

"No, this ass-hat was going to hit my partner's husband. I stepped in."

"Wait" the brunette said with a confused look on her face, "your partner is married? And was in a fight? AND you defended him?"

Gail started to laugh, a genuine laugh that she had not experienced in a very long time. "I don't mean 'partner' as in 'life-partner', I mean it as in 'police partner'" the blonde explained through fits of laughter. Realizing her mistake, the doctor laughed too.

The doctor finished up her work, using extra bandages this time. "There, almost as good as new, but not as good as you would have been had you let me cast this last night" she said putting the brace back on the injury.

"Thanks, Dr. Stewart" the blonde replied.

"Call me Holly"

"Okay. Thank you, Holly". A strange feeling was sitting in the pit of Gail's stomach. Did she not want this woman to leave? Before the confusion could set in the doctor interrupted her thoughts.

"Gail, why is there a cartoon bone stitched onto your mattress?" Holly asked with a mischievous look on her face. She reached down to pull up the very soft Egyptian cotton sheets.

"No! Don't!" was all Gail could manage before the other woman pulled up the fabric covering her bed.

"Gail, is this a dog bed?" she asked laughing.

"Maybe"

"Why are you sleeping on a dog bed?" the doctor was enjoying this conversation more and more. What a strange woman this blonde police officer was. But it felt like a good kind of strange.

"They were having a closing out sale at a pet store the other day" Gail replied while her skin blushed a red so deep she started to look like an alien race. "It's much better than the floor" she tried to defend herself.

The doctor started laughing harder, a contagious laughter that made Gail feel light and happy. The blonde started to laugh too, knowing that this woman was not laughing at her. For the first time since arriving in Timmins, she knew she had not made a mistake.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you to those that are taking the time to review!

This is a shorter chapter but it felt natural to end it where I did. The next chapter should be longer.

My tumblr handle is baileychabot

Enjoy!

**Chapter 5**

"Gail, is this a dog bed?" Holly asked.

"Maybe"

"Why are you sleeping on a dog bed?" the brunette asked.

"They were having a closing out sale at a pet store the other day" Gail replied while her skin blushed a red so deep she started to look like an alien race.

"It's much better than the floor" she tried to defend herself. "Plus I got it for next to nothing because it there was a defect. The lining doesn't quite match up." Gail smiled at herself for being so resourceful. Holly could tell that Gail was proud of her resourcefulness and thought herself clever.

"You know, Timmins has furniture stores."

"I know, I just haven't decided what I'm looking for yet." Gail knew the woman wouldn't believe her but felt that she would rather lie than admit the embarrassing truth that she couldn't afford anything other than this large canine bed for the time being.

"When you are ready, I'll take you. It looks like you need some decorating advice, plus you'll need an extra pair of hands to get everything in here" the doctor said looking around the room at all the empty space.

Taken aback by the forwardness of the suggestion, Gail just nodded. "Okay" she said. Feeling brave that the doctor obviously wanted to help her she added "I liked the stuff in your apartment. Where you get your couch?"

Holly just looked at her with her smirk that she always carried. Gail became flushed once more remembering why she knew what Holly's sofa looked like. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a big creep the other day. I was locked out of the building and I didn't have my phone so I climbed the eavestrough so I could get into my apartment. Your place just happened to be along the way" she finished, looking at the ground.

"That's a lot less boring than the excuse I had for you" Holly replied. The brunette was taking this conversation with a lot more understanding and aplomb than Gail could have imagined.

"Why did you think I was looking through your windows?" Gail asked, forgetting her embarrassment as curiosity took over.

"I had pictured you as a world-class rock climber. But since there aren't that many rocks to climb within city limits, you climbed up the building instead. A challenge, to prove to yourself that you could" the doctor replied with confidence and a smile.

Gail liked this woman more and more. She also liked the picture she was painting of the blonde more than she actually liked herself, which made her worry that the brunette would change her mind once she actually got to know the police woman.

"Or, you're a giant pervert who likes to peep in people's windows. But I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt" the doctor smiled as she used her elbow to poke Gail in the ribs. Gail laughed. She decided that she liked this woman, and maybe they could even be friends.

"And to answer your earlier question, none of my stuff is from Timmins. I brought all this stuff here when I moved."

"Oh, you're not from here?" Gail asked.

"No. I've been here for almost a year but I was born and raised in Vancouver."

"Then why are you here?" Gail couldn't hide her shock and confusion, "BC is so nice. Why would you move so far away?"

"Medical school is expensive" Holly responded, as if that answered everything. "Northern communities pay extra if you sign a contract to practice medicine there."

"Do they only do that in Ontario? I'm sure there are towns in BC that pay extra for doctors." Gail couldn't understand why she would come across the country just to move to a small town away from everything else.

"They do, but I was looking for an adventure away from home. Plus I have an uncle in North Bay that my parents wanted me to be closer to. How about you? I take it you're not from here either" the doctor asked.

Gail became uncomfortable. She didn't like talking about herself at the best of times, but she knew that the next few questions out of Holly's mouth would be about why she came here. She wasn't quite ready to answer that yet.

"No, I'm from Toronto."

"Ah, the big T-dot!" the brunette exclaimed.

"It's not that cool, nerd" the blonde teased, hopeful she might not have to explain her move.

"I like Toronto: the Leafs, the Royal Ontario Museum, the symphony, art galleries. It's great!"

"Vancouver has a lot of stuff like that too. Why is Toronto better?" Gail asked.

"It isn't better and Vancouver does have a lot to offer. But Toronto is closer so I'm all about 'Torono' these days!" the brunette says with a laugh, intentionally mispronouncing the city's name to sound like a local.

"Oh god! I'll take you furniture shopping with me if you promise to never say the word 'Torono' again!" the blonde laughed.

"Deal!" Holly replied as she reached for Gail's phone. "Here is my number. I'll be expecting your call, Officer" Holly said as she got up to leave. "Sleep tight! Let me know if you need anything else for your arm. And Gail, please be careful" she said with same concerned look she had shown Gail earlier.

"I will" the officer replied, "I promise".

The beautiful doctor just smiled as she let herself out of Gail's apartment. Gail just lied back on her bed and stared at the ceiling with a feeling of contentment settling in her stomach. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about the other woman was making Gail happy.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day at work was much the same as the first, with the exception of Chris apologizing profusely for the events at the Black Penny the previous evening.

"Don't apologize, Chris. You weren't the problem" was all Gail had to say.

"I know it wasn't directly my fault, but I invited him knowing he wasn't in a great place. I figured if he had a chance to meet you and see that you were a nice person it would help him out of his rut. The last thing I wanted was for you to get hurt." She could tell by the look in his eye that he was experiencing a great deal of guilt and remorse. She was also surprised that he had chosen to string the words 'you', 'nice', and 'person' together in a sentence that described her.

"Seriously Chris, it's not your fault. Your friend is an ass, but honestly, I am glad it all happened."

"What? Why are you happy about this?" he asked incredulously.

"I didn't say 'happy' Diaz, I said 'glad'. I got to see what you were made of. I know you have my back" she said with a shrug.

"Oh" was all he uttered. His cheeks flushed and he stared at the ground.

"Don't be such a sap, Diaz. Don't make this a mushy moment!" Gail tried to lighten the situation, starting to feel the gravity of her previous statement. Having your partner's back was the foundation of a police partnership and she knew that. She had essentially just 'popped the question' in their professional relationship. Not wanting to focus on it, she pushed past it.

"There's a softy in there, Gail. I know it" Chris replied with a grin.

"Shut up, Diaz" she said as she punched him in the arm and turned to her computer.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next few days passed in silence. Chris was focussing on getting the work done quickly while Gail just couldn't be bothered to start a conversation. But by the third day of listening to nothing but the sounds of phones ringing in the background, boots shuffling against linoleum floors, and one-sided cell phone conversations, Gail was starting to go a little stir crazy. She decided her only option was to talk to her partner.

"So" she started. Chris looked up at her in anticipation of what she was going to say next.

"You're gay" was all that came out of the woman's mouth. The words hung in the air between them. Gail wasn't sure why she felt the need to state the obvious, particularly in such a callous manner, but the sounds had already exited her mouth so she was going to stand behind them.

Chris just started to laugh. "Yes, Gail, I am gay. Did my husband give it away?" he asked.

"What's that like?" she replied, ignoring his teasing.

"Being gay? It's good, I guess. I don't really know how to answer that because it's part of who I am."

"Sorry, I meant more like 'what's it like being gay in a small town'?" she said.

"Honestly, it hasn't been anything like I had thought it would be when I was still in the closet. Dennis and I kept our relationship pretty under wraps when we were in high school. We both felt that we had a lot to lose by coming out. I played team sports and he was active with a lot of academic extracurricular activities and we didn't want anything to change. We both came out at the end of grade 12 so that we could go to prom together. We were expecting the school to give us a hard time but the principal actually called us into the office to tell us that we had the full support of the staff and administration and that we should let them know immediately if anyone was harassing us. We had a few guys call us 'homo' and 'fag' but the truth was that most people didn't care that much. I mean, people gossiped, but nobody really gave us a hard time. Dennis and I both had a solid group of friends and they stood by us. Now I'm a police officer and Dennis just finished business school and is starting his own business. Occasionally, people stare at us or say rude things, but even in small towns there are gay people and their allies. I like living in Timmins and being gay hasn't tainted that experience for me. It would be nice if there was a more visible community here but there are other gay people in this town, even if it doesn't seem like it." Chris just smiled. He was obviously proud of the acceptance he had found in his hometown. Gail could feel it as it radiated off of him and she smiled too.

"Why do you ask?" he said, his tone more serious.

"I was just wondering. I always here about people talking about small towns being less accepting" she shrugged.

Chris just nodded. "Well, Timmins has been great to me, and to Dennis too. And I meant it when I said it, Gail. There are other gay people in this community and a lot of support too." Chris placed his hand on Gail's shoulder.

"What did I say about being sappy, Diaz?" she said as she brushed off his hand.

He looked at her with a kind smile. "I'm going for lunch now. I'll see you in an hour."

"What the hell was he trying to convey" was all Gail thought as Chris walked away.

XXXXXXXXXX

As she approached her apartment door she could see a plastic bag hanging from the handle. It was obviously filled with round objects. Her childhood training, more so than any actual on the job training she's had thus far, kicked in. She looked around the hall to see if she could see anyone. The hall seemed clear so she slowly approached her door, trying to make out what was in the plastic bag.

As she neared the bag, she could see that it was filled with apples and that there was a note on top with scratchy hand writing. She knew immediately that the bad hand writing could only belong to one person: the doctor downstairs. She pulled out the note and read it over.

_Officer Peck,_

_I went to visit my uncle in North Bay and he forced me to go apple picking with him. Instead of just getting a few bags to make pies and other delicious desserts, he decided that we needed five bushels worth. Do you know how apples are in a bushel? I do. Hint: the answer is more than any single person could ever need. Given your barren wasteland of an apartment I figured some fresh fruit could brighten up the place._

_Enjoy!_

_Holly_

Gail laughed as she looked at the note again. She had never really liked apples unless they were part of a strudel or pie, or really any fruit that wasn't part of a delicious, sugary treat, but she had a feeling she'd enjoy eating these.

She had thought about texting the woman to see if she wanted to hang out but always decided against it. What would she suggest they do? She had nothing in her apartment with the exception of her laptop, but she wasn't about to invite a woman to share her doggy bed with her to watch a movie. She couldn't afford an evening out, even if it was just something simple like a movie, she had decided to wait until her first paycheque.

That was proving to be a long wait.

XXXXXXXXXX

Two days before her first ever paycheque as a member of the Timmins detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police was due to be deposited in her account, she caved and texted Holly. She was confused as she looked through her phone finding nothing listed under either 'Holly' or 'Stewart'. She even looked under 'Doctor', but still nothing. A scroll through her contacts made her laugh out loud when she noticed a new entry under the letter _N_. Nerd was all it said.

Gail: _Good afternoon, _Nerd_. I'll be going furniture shopping this Saturday and as I recall, a certain doctor offered herself as a second pair of eyes AND hands._

Nerd: _Hello Officer Peck. I was worried that you had died from an apple overdose. I'm glad to hear from you._

Gail blushed when she read the text. Holly was glad to hear from her.

Gail: _My guts are made of steel. Apples don't stand a chance against me, even if it is 48 pounds, or one bushel of apples._

Nerd: _Haha looked up a bushel of apples, did you?_

Gail beamed knowing she had just made Holly laugh, even if it was just electronically.

Gail: _Nope. I'm just that knowledgeable. _

Nerd: _Did you know that a bushel changes depending on which commodity it is in reference to? For example, a bushel of apples is 48 pounds while a bushel of mustard greens weighs a mere 18 pounds. Weird, isn't it?_

Gail smiled as the text conversation continued. Her heart raced a little bit every time her phone vibrated indicating a new message.

Gail: _What's weird is that you know this and feel the need to share the information._

Nerd: _Fine. Pretend like agriscience is not fascinating. I'm working the night shift on Saturday so I'm free all day. _

Gail: _I'll pick you up at 10AM._

Nerd: _:)_

XXXXXXXXXX

Saturday morning arrived and Gail felt uncharacteristically upbeat. She decided it was because she was going to be getting a real bed, one that required a frame and was not made for four-legged creatures. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach as she knocked on Holly's door, hoping she looked okay. "Who cares what she thinks of me" Gail tried to convince herself.

"Hi!" the doctor said as she opened her door. "Let's do this!" she said as she locked her apartment and headed toward the main door. Gail followed behind her.

"I have a plan for us today. I've looked up some stores and I think I may have found some good deals. Depending on your budget, we might be able to get quite a few things today" the brunette said with determination and focus.

Gail followed her out the front door and directed her to her old car. She hoped she didn't leave any trash in the front seat. Surprised that her thoughts had again turned to Holly's opinion of her she shook her head trying to dislodge the concern.

"Where are we headed first, Captain?" Gail asks after they get in.

"Depends. What do you need most? I assume a bed." Holly replied.

"Agreed. A bed is the most important item" Gail said with a nod.

"Perfect! First stop, Timmins Furniture, 1150 Riverside Drive" the brunette told the blonde as she entered the address into Gail's GPS.

The store had a decent selection of mattresses and true to Holly's word, they were on sale. Gail's immediate thought was that she could use the savings to take Holly to dinner as a 'thank you' for her help today.

As they lied on the third bed testing its comfort, Gail asked Holly what she thought of the bed.

"Well, I think this one is great. Plus it's 25% off, which is even better. But I won't be sleeping in your bed, you will be" Holly said as she turned her head to look at the blonde. The thought of Holly in her bed made Gail squirm. She wasn't sure yet what this feeling was, but she kind of liked it. "Strange" was all Gail thought.

"Hmmmm, I do like this one. It would be easier if I had someone who was going to sleep in the bed with me help me decide" Gail replied.

"So you're single then? No boyfriend pining in Toronto over his long, lost Gail?" Holly laughed.

"God no! I'm a lone wolf" she replied with a grin. "What about you? Are you seeing anyone?" Gail asked, not sure why she was nervous waiting for her friend to respond.

"Hahaha, no. I'm very much a single lady. It's a lot harder to meet people here than I thought" Holly said.

"Men aren't clamouring to date a cute doctor?"

"You think I'm cute?" Holly asked with her signature half-smile. Gail blushed realizing her admission.

"I can appreciate anyone's beauty, Nerd" she said as she elbowed the woman next to her. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Men do ask me out, a lot, actually" Holly told her.

"Then what's the problem? Is there a boyfriend pining for his Dr. Stewart in Vancouver?" Gail turned the brunette's own phrase on her.

"Hahaha no, God no!" Holly laughed, "that's not it at all."

"What is it then?" Gail was genuinely wanted to know why she was single. She was beautiful, smart, and interesting. She figured it must be the men who can't keep up with her. The internal monologue of reasons why men were idiots for not seeing a good thing like Holly was interrupted by the brunette.

"Because I'm not interested in men. I'm a lesbian" she stated in a quieter voice.

"Oh" was all Gail said as she turned to look at her new friend.

"Does… does that bother you?" Holly asked with downcast eyes. It was obvious to Gail that she was worried that Gail might react negatively.

"No, not at all" Gail reassured her. Gail was actually feeling uncomfortable, not because of Holly's confession, but because of her reaction. She could feel her doing flips while her stomach filled with butterflies.

"Actually, Chris was telling me that the community is quite supportive here. I'm sure there are a lot of single lesbians who would love to get with you" she said trying to push through her own awkwardness.

"Did you just use the phrase 'get with me'?" the doctor said as she poked the blonde's side.

"You know what I mean"

"Yes, I do." Holly shifted so she was on her elbows. "There are lesbians here, I've met some of them, but it isn't that easy. Just because someone is also a lesbian doesn't mean that we're automatically going to be attracted to each other" she said in a serious tone.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean it like that. I meant that you're such a catch, I didn't think it would be hard for you to find a date" Gail tried to atone for her careless words.

"No, I know you didn't mean any offense. I just get frustrated, that's all" Holly said with a shrug. "I'm ready to meet my _someone_, I'm just not sure Timmins is where she'll be and it's hard sometimes."

"I'll keep an eye out for her. What does she look like?" Gail teased.

"Hahaha I don't know! That's the problem! I don't know what she looks like. I can tell you what she's like though, maybe that'll help?" the brunette said, playing along.

"Sure. Hold on, let me put this in a memo" Gail replied, pulling out her phone and rolling over to face the doctor. "Okay. Tell me about her"

"Alright. First of all, she's smart, but not in an academic sense; she is street smart. She has a good career that she is passionate about. She loves fiercely and without conditions, but she doesn't give her love away easily, I have to earn it. She is incredibly loyal and is true to her word. She has a hidden romantic side that only comes out when it's just the two of us. She has a good sense of humour and she can dish it as well as she can take it."

As Gail typed the keywords into her memopad app, a thought hit her like a ton of bricks: even though Holly was describing a type, Gail recognized herself in all of the things she mentioned. And the thought made her happy.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you to those who take the time to review! I look forward to them!

My tumblr handle is baileychabot if you want more Golly.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 6**

Gail decided on the third bed they'd tried. It was firm pillow top double mattress. She liked the bed and so did Holly. After Gail paid for her new bed, the clerk asked her when she'd like it delivered.

"How much does it cost for delivery?" Gail asked.

"It's fifty dollars for next day delivery, but if you want it today it's a bit more" the clerk replied.

"I think we'll take it ourselves" the blonde stated.

Holly looked at the blonde with a smile and wide eyes.

"It's a bid bed Gail and you live on the third floor" the brunette reminded her.

"What's wrong, Nerd? Afraid that you aren't strong enough?" she teased.

"I ran a full marathon last summer. I'm tough as nails. I'm worried about you, Officer" the doctor said as she stepped closer to Gail.

"I chase bad guys for a living. I think I can handle a bed. Besides, you're the one that offered to help me move things" she countered, not stepping back as the brunette came closer.

"Fine. We'll take it ourselves" the brunette looked into the blonde's eyes with an intensity Gail hadn't seen before. She couldn't look into them any longer so she turned away to take her receipt from the clerk.

"We'll take it ourselves" she repeated with a smile.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Gail, I'm serious this time. I don't think we thought this through very well. How are we going to get your bed _to _the apartment with just your little Sunfire?" the doctor said as she carried the back half of the box spring out to Gail's small, black coupe.

"It has a roof, Holly. How else would we get it back?" Gail asked rhetorically.

"We don't have any rope or bungees to tie it down. How will the bed stay on the roof as we drive?" the doctor was losing confidence in their plan to take the bed home themselves.

"Does Chris have a truck?" Holly asked.

"We don't need Chris. We can do this, Nerd! I have a plan" she replied with a smirk on her face and a glint in her eye.

"Oh, God. What is your evil plan, then?" the doctor said with a laugh.

"Well, the frame has to be assembled and will fit into the trunk of the car. The box spring will go on the roof. We'll just roll down the windows and hold it. We'll have to come back for the top mattress though, but we have lots of time before you have to start work" the blonde said matter-of-factly.

"You're not serious, are you?" the brunette asked, getting nervous. "Gail, your left hand is in a brace. What if the wind picks up or we take a corner too fast?" she rambled.

"Remember what you told me the other day?" Gail said before Holly could get herself too worked up. "You said you came here for an adventure. Well here it is Holly! Are you going to let it pass you by?" the blonde said with gusto.

"Common sense tells me to let it pass me by but my curiosity is getting the best of me" she replied with a sigh. "Alright, let's do this Peck!"

The drive back to their shared apartment complex was slow but filled with shrieks and giggles as both women tried to hold the blonde's bed to the roof of the car. Externally Gail smiled and laughed, internally she beamed with the joy she felt at having met this woman.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I need a rest!" Gail huffed as she dropped the box spring mattress onto the floor of her bedroom. "This thing is so awkward!" she complained.

"I told you we should have gotten help!" Holly said through laboured breaths.

"I didn't think it would be this bad. Ugh, we still have to bring up the frame and put it together then we have to go back for the top mattress!" Gail whined.

"It's okay. The hard part is over. How is your hand feeling?" she asked with a concerned voice as she rubbed her own sore hands.

"Fine, actually. This brace does wonders" the blonde said as she looked at the attachment to her limb.

"I know" Holly said with a mischievous look in her soulful eyes. "I remember your reaction to it in the hospital" she teased.

Gail's smile fell off her face and she could feel her skin flushing.

"What are you talking about?" she tried to say smoothly but her nerves were evident in her voice.

Holly raised her eyebrows as she looked at the other woman and smiled.

"Well, you were using it as a gun or a laser beam at one point. You tried to shoot the nurse and then you yelled 'HEAD SHOT! 100 POINTS!'"

"Oh, God" she scrunched her face up in embarrassment, using her good hand to cover as much of her face as she could.

"Don't be ashamed. It was really adorable" Holly said as she pulled Gail's hand away from her face. "It was really cute" she finished.

"Did you just say I was cute?" Gail said with a twinkle in her eye turning the doctor's words on her.

"Yes, Gail. I think you're cute" the brunette replied as she rolled her eyes and laughed.

"How about now? Am I still cute?" the blonde asked as she crossed her eyes and grimaced. "Would you still help me move my bed if I looked like this?" she laughed as she pulled up her nose so her top lip no longer met her bottom lip.

The brunette let out a full-bellied laugh at the sight of her new friend. Gail couldn't help but laugh with her, the honesty and lightness in her laughter was contagious.

"Stop! Stop! My stomach hurts!" Holly said through fits of giggles.

"Fine, I'll stop, but only because I want to get this damn bed together. I'll go get the frame and you go get your tools" Gail replied heading out of the bedroom.

"My tools?"

"Yes, Holly. Your tools. We'll need them to assemble the bed frame"

"Why would you think I have tools?" the brunette said as she turned her head to the side, wondering how the blonde came to this conclusion.

"Because, Holly. You're a lesbian. Lesbians are handy. Handy people need tools to do their handy projects. Ergo, you have tools" she responded as if it were the most obvious line of logic.

"Just because I am a lesbian doesn't mean I hit every lesbian stereotype" the brunette replied.

"So you don't have tools?" Gail asked.

"I do have tools, but I have them because I am an independent woman not because I happen to prefer the company of ladies" she said with a smile on her face and crossed arms.

"You still have tools, Nerd" Gail said as she headed for her car.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Are those sirens, Gail?! Are we being pulled over?! You told me there was nothing illegal about this!" Holly's voice inched higher and louder as she looked in the side mirror to see the flashing lights of a police car.

"It's okay, Holly. There is nothing illegal in this, it's just maybe… frowned upon to transport a mattress this way" the blonde tried to say in a soothing voice to calm the panicking doctor in the passenger seat.

"Gail! I'm a physician in good standing in this community! I can't go to jail!" she started shouting as she looked over her shoulder to see the approaching officer.

"Holly, I promise you, it's okay. Nobody is going to jail, especially not you" Gail replied hurriedly, looking the doctor dead in the eye. "I might get a ticket but none of this is your problem. Please don't be upset." She used her good arm to touch Holly's wrist in comfort.

"Okay" the physician replied in a shaky voice. "Okay, okay"

"Okay? Are you sure you're alright?" the blonde said.

"Yes" the doctor said as she huffed out a breath. "I trust you" she continued with a nod.

Gail smiled at the woman as a knock on her driver's side window interrupted the moment.

"Good afternoon officer" Gail started as she rolled down the window.

"Good afternoon ladies. I just wanted to let you know that-" the officer began as her looked down into the car. "Peck! What the hell are you doing?" Shaw said as he noticed the platinum blonde hair and cerulean eyes of the woman in the driver's seat.

"Officer Shaw" she started with a nod, "my friend was just helping me get my new bed home" she said as sweetly and innocently as she could muster.

"I see that. Is this really the best way to get your bed home? I'm sure they deliver, not to mention that Diaz has a truck" Shaw replied in a voice that was much more annoyed-father than angry-police-officer.

"They were charging extra for delivery and I kind of need my bed today" she said sheepishly, not wanting to admit that she really just wanted to have this adventure with Holly.

Shaw just nodded. He turned and walked away from Gail's car and headed toward his squad car.

"Is that it?" Holly asked the blonde. "Can we just go now?" she said in a hopeful voice.

"No, not yet. I'm not sure what he's doing right now but he's not writing me a ticket" she said in a contemplative voice as she watched her training officer dig through the trunk of his squad.

He returned with four bungee cords.

"Get out of the car, Peck" he ordered the blonde. "You're going to help me fasten the mattress onto the car. Then you're going to head directly to your house and you will not go one click faster than 30. Do you hear me?" he said as he pointed the bungee cord at her with a serious look on his face.

"Yes, sir" she replied as she started anchor her bed to the roof of her car.

"Good" he replied, doing the same on the passenger side of the car.

Once the job was complete he headed back to his squad. He turned before he opened his door. "I'm glad you're making friends Peck" he said with a smile.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next day at work Gail and Chris were stuck on desk duty because Oliver was out with a nasty cold. Gail was her usual quiet self while Chris hummed every _Queen_ song he knew. Gail thought of silencing him with a quick kick to the shin out of spite but stopped herself when he started _Bohemian Rhapsody. _Even she knew you couldn't disrespect such a classic with a kick to the shin, so she instead bopped along, singing the lyrics in her head.

"Chris" she said as she looked at her desk buddy as he hummed out the last notes. He turned at looked at her with his innocent eyes.

"Yes, Gail?" he said when she didn't continue.

She didn't quite look at him while she swivelled in her chair. Her hands were fidgeting with her clip-on tie.

"I'm sure whatever you're about to say is not as bad as you're imagining" he said with an encouraging smile.

"It's nothing" she replied, turning back to her paperwork. She was annoyed with herself for having lost her courage.

"Okay. Well, I'm not shy, so whenever you're ready, ask" he said turning back to his own work.

"How did you know you're gay?" It came out as barely a whisper. Had Chris not been listening to her he would have missed it himself. He looked at her with a thoughtful gaze even though she refused to turn from her desk.

"Um, I figured it out in middle school" he said reflecting back on that time of his life. "I have always been into sports and the guys on the team were always talking about girls and the things they wanted to do to them. You know, sexual stuff" he said in a hushed voice, like it was a secret. "I never felt that way about girls. The guys would talk and I would just nod along because I didn't want them to know I wasn't feeling the same way. That's all I thought it was back then; I was different."

She nodded her acknowledgement to the papers on her desk. Not entirely sure what she was hoping to hear from him he just continued.

"When I met Dennis I just felt like I wanted to spend all of my time with him. When something funny happened I just couldn't wait to tell him. When he laughed it was the greatest sound I'd ever heard and I just wanted to do everything I could to hear it again."

"One day we were hanging out after school and he had a black eye. Before he even told me the story I was seeing red. I was so angry I thought my heart was going to beat through my chest. He told me that one of the kids in his English class had called him a 'fucking faggot' and took a swing at him."

Gail turned to face Chris. She could see traces of the emotions of that day still etched on his face.

"I ended up beating the guy into a pulp. I was suspended, almost expelled. I had to go through anger management courses. Everybody asked me why I did it. I was a calm guy, I never got into fights. Even on the hockey team, I was the only guy who'd never been in a fight. The more people reminded me that it wasn't like me to hit someone else, the more I realized it was because Dennis meant so much more to me than anyone else I'd ever met." Chris stared wistfully into space thinking of his husband.

"When I told Dennis that I felt things for him, he just kissed me. It was like electricity; a literal shock to my system. I'd kissed girls before, but when he kissed me, it was like every fibre of my being was alive. I wanted to shout from a mountain" he said with a chuckle. He looked Gail right in the eye. "And that's when I knew" he finished with a soft smile.

XXXXXXXXXX

On the way home from her shift that day, still thinking of Chris' story, she decided to text Holly.

Gail: _What are you doing for dinner this evening, Nerd? I owe you a 'thank you' and I could do with something that isn't individually wrapped and in my freezer._

Nerd: _I'm at the hospital until 6 but I'm free after that. _

Gail: _Good. Do you like Japanese?_

Nerd: _Love it._

Gail: _Meet you at the place on Pine St at 6._

Gail arrived shortly before 6, so she could get a free booth and look over the menu before the doctor arrived. She had had some time to kill before she was supposed to meet Holly so she took the time to shower, dress, and do her hair and makeup. She was worried it had been too much when the brunette arrived and sat across from her. She immediately changed her mind when she received a compliment from the woman.

"Wow, Gail! You look great!" she said as she looked the blonde up and down.

Gail blushed and looked at her menu.

"I finished work earlier this afternoon. Sometimes it's nice to dress up after spending all day dressed like a man" she said.

"Well you definitely don't look like a man right now" the doctor told her.

"We've already established that you think I'm cute, Doctor"

Holly gave her her patented half smile and rolled her eyes.

"How was your day, Officer?" the brunette asked, changing the subject.

"Interesting"

"How so?" Holly asked as she put down her menu to pay proper attention to the blonde.

"Chris told me the story of how he realized he was gay" she replied.

"Wow. Really?" Holly asked her.

"Yeah. Why?"

"It's just some people don't like to talk about it. It can be very personal"

"Oh" was all Gail could say.

"Don't worry Gail, he wouldn't have told you if he didn't want to" the brunette said as she reached her hand across the table to reassure her with touch.

Gail nodded. "Is your story personal?" she asked the doctor.

"My story? No, not really. It's hardly much of a story though" Holly said with a light laugh.

Gail felt better that Holly's realizing her sexuality wasn't a traumatic experience for her.

"Would you like to hear it?" she asked after they had placed their order.

"Yes, I would, if that's okay" Gail responded.

Holly took a sip of her water.

"I was doing my undergrad at the University of British Columbia. I was studying biology and some of the requirements were these plant life classes. They were _AWFUL_" she said with emphasis. "I was at the library one day trying to read my textbook when this girl walked by. I watched her pass my carrel. She had legs that went on forever and even though she wasn't trying to, her hips swayed in a way that made my jaw drop" she said with a chuckle.

"It was just my natural reaction to this woman, unbridled and uncensored because my brain was mush from reading this horrendous plant book. This little voice popped into my head and said 'Holy shit, Holly! You're a lesbian'. So I did the only thing I could think to do" she said, looking right into the ocean of blue eyes that were Gail's.

"You asked her out?" Gail said, wanting to hear the rest of the story but afraid at the same time.

"Nope!" Holly laughed. "I packed up my things as quickly as I could, marched back to my house, locked myself in my room, and tried not to panic."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Holly was quiet for minute and her face turned serious.

"It was a strange thing to experience. Acknowledging that you're not who you thought you were. I always thought I was straight but I hadn't met the right guy yet. In hindsight things made so much more sense once I figured out I was gay."

"I remember when I was about 13 my best friend had a sleepover for her birthday party. We were playing 'truth or dare' and somebody asked her if she had kissed a boy. She had; I was devastated. I thought I was upset that she didn't trust me enough to tell me, but it was because I had a crush on her and she obviously didn't feel the same way. I just didn't know what it was at the time."

Gail couldn't look away from Holly. She felt exposed even though it wasn't her story she was telling. The way Holly was speaking was so raw yet unapologetic she couldn't help but be enamored by this woman.

"Why do you think you didn't notice your sexuality earlier?" Gail asked, wanting Holly to continue with her story.

"Honestly, I was aware of my sexuality in the sense that I knew I was developing sexually, I just wasn't in tune with it, if that makes sense? I had all the normal feelings for a teenager, hormones raging and all that. I didn't think I was any different from the other girls in my class. I had just never considered that I could be a lesbian. It wasn't anything that was talked about when I was in high school" the doctor said.

"I was jealous when my biology lab partner started dating one of the boys in our class. I thought it was because I liked him and now couldn't date him, but it was really that I was jealous _of_ him_. _I had had feelings for her that I mistook for friendship."

Gail nodded, empathising with the situation. Gail may not have had misdirected feelings for the girls in her class, but she could certainly relate to not understanding your own emotions and what they meant. High school was a tough time for her.

"It must have been a relief when you came to terms with it then? Things started to make sense?" she asked the olive-skinned woman across from her after their food had been delivered to their table.

"Yes and no" the doctor replied as she put some hot sauce on her dish. "I had never been confused by my emotions growing up. The difference was that I could now understand what they had really meant. It was a comforting thing to learn something so important about myself, but at the same time I was worried I was going to be picking up a cross to carry."

"Did you tell anyone right away?" the blonde felt like she might be overstepping but she wanted to know as much about this woman as she could.

"No. I kept it to myself for a while. I was trying to understand it better, understand myself better. It took almost a year before I mentioned it to anyone else."

Gail didn't know how to respond, so she just nodded again, hoping that the motion would convey that even though she couldn't specifically relate, she understood what Holly was saying.

"Mmmm" Holly was saying as she bit into her dish. "Gail, this is SOOooo good! You have to try this!"

And with that, the conversation moved on.

XXXXXXXXXX

Nearly a week had passed since she had taken Holly out to thank her for helping her chose her bed. She had texted the doctor on two separate occasions to see if she wanted to get a drink but both times she had declined.

Yesterday, on her way to work, she had seen Holly outside of the apartment building. She had been dressed in running shorts and an athletic tank top. The look was completed with running shoes. Gail had thought she was headed for a run but when she watched her she noticed that she just paced back and forth on the grass in front of the building. Curious, and slightly concerned, Gail went back to talk to her.

"Holly?" she said quietly when she neared the woman. The doctor seemed upset and Gail could hear Holly her talking to herself.

"Oh!" the doctor turned and looked at Gail with wide eyes, surprised to see her standing there. "Yeah, I uh, I'm uh, I'm fine" she sputtered out.

"Are you sure?" Gail asked, becoming more and more convinced something was not right.

"Yeah, Gail. It's okay, don't worry" she replied quickly with a strained smile. Her eyes darted around and Gail could see that the woman was wringing her hands. "I'm, uh, just warming up for my jog."

"Okay" Gail replied tentatively, unsure if she should keep pressing the woman for answers she obviously didn't want to give. "I'm heading to work now but if you need anything, you know you can call me, right?" she offered.

"Yeah, I have your number. 911, right?" the physician laughed but it seemed forced. It wasn't the 'Holly' laugh that Gail loved so much.

"Yeah" Gail laughed in kind. "Have a good day, Nerd" she said as she turned around to head to her car.

XXXXXXXXXX

On their second walk through of the music festival Shaw purposefully walked them toward the food vendors at the back of the field. She was glad that's where they were headed because she was getting hungry herself. Nothing worked up her appetite like arresting trouble makers and taking the beer from underage kids.

"So how are you enjoying Timmins, Peck?" he asked as they perched against the front of the squad with their hotdogs and beavertails.

"It's good so far" she replied.

"I see you're making friends too" he commented as he put extra ketchup on his lunch.

"Yeah, her name is Holly. She lives in my building and she's the doctor that sewed me up, actually" she responded.

"Oh, yeah? I'm glad you're settling in. It seemed like you were having fun that day. And it's nice to make new friends" he continued as he took a bite.

"Yeah" she said into her hotdog.

"What? You don't like making friends?" he asked. "Everybody needs friends, Peck."

"It's not that."

"What is it then?" he said gently, not wanting to push her.

"I don't know, actually" she said with a frustrated laugh. "She's been avoiding me all week. I caught her outside our apartment complex yesterday pacing back and forth, talking to herself. If I had been on shift, I would have called her in as an EDP" she said to her training officer.

"Sounds like she needs a friend too, Peck" he said.

"How am I supposed to be friends with someone who obviously doesn't want to be my friend? That's called stalking, sir and it's illegal" she replied.

"Listen Peck, some people don't know how to ask for help" he told her with a shrug. "You just have to stand there and say 'I don't know what you need but I am here anyway to go through this with you.' Don't force it, but if you offer yourself up, people will grab a hold, and sometimes that's all they need" he said as he crumpled up the rest of his hotdog wrapper.

"Huh" was all she could manage. What her senior officer said actually made sense. She resolved to offer her friendship to Holly to help her through whatever it was she was going through.

The rest of their lunch was spent enjoying their dessert and watching the festival goers stream by. Gail was about to comment that the day had been peaceful when their radios cackled to life.

"Attention all units: reports of an individual brandishing a knife have been reported at the front entrance of the festival. Suspect is described as..."

"Here we go" Gail sighed as she wiped her hands clean and started following Shaw toward the front gates.


	7. Chapter 7

Please take the time to review! I read and appreciate every comment.

Tumblr handle is baileychabot

Enjoy!

**Chapter 7**

"Attention all units: reports of an individual brandishing a knife have been reported at the front entrance of the festival. Suspect is described as a white male, 6 feet tall, 190 pounds, wearing a black hoodie and cargo shorts" their radios crackled to life.

"Ready, Peck?" Shaw checked with his rookie.

"Let's do it" Gail sighed as she wiped her hands clean and started following Shaw toward the front gates. She was annoyed that she didn't get to finish the last of her beaver tail but she was thrilled to finally get to do something exciting in her training.

"Okay" he said as he led her toward their suspect. "I want you to stay behind me. Do _not_ draw your weapon unless you have to. Most of the time the best route to take with anyone yielding a weapon is to calmly talk to them. If we pull our firearms we'll only aggravate an already agitated situation" the senior officer told her as they marched quickly passed merchandise vendors.

"This is just a guy who is probably upset that this girlfriend dumped him. We'll clear the area of civilians and just talk to him. But most importantly Peck, I want you to stay back. Sometimes these situations can escalate quickly and I don't want you in the middle of it" he said with a concerned tone as they neared the front gate.

"Do you understand me?" he stopped and looked her in the eye.

"I do, sir. I'll stay back" she replied.

"Okay. Let's see what we have" he turned to speak with the festival security guard manning the front gate.

Gail scanned the crowd. She couldn't see anyone matching the description of their suspect. She tried to see if anyone in the mob was drawing attention from the others. So far, nothing stood out to her; people continued to stream past excitedly talking about their favourite band or whether they were going to the beer tent now or later.

"The security guard said the guy didn't seem upset. He just had a large hunting knife out but they lost him in the crowd" Oliver said when he finished talking to the security guard.

"Should we keep looking for him then?" she asked as she continued scanning the throngs of people.

"If someone has a weapon like that we need to find him" her TO replied.

As soon as the words escaped his mouth he started walking quickly, obviously with a destination in mind. Gail was in step right behind him when she noticed the very man they were looking for walking right toward them. In his left hand was the unmistakable glint of the blade of a hunting knife.

Oliver slowed down as they were nearing the man. He put a pleasant smile on his face and started to talk to the man in a languid voice.

"Good afternoon" he spoke to the man with a smile. "I'm Officer Shaw and this is my partner Officer Peck. How are you today, sir?" he continued as he placed his hand on his holster. Seeing her training officer do this, Gail copied the motion.

"I'm good officer. Is there something I can help you with?" the man replied jovially.

"There is actually. I can see that you're carrying a pretty serious looking knife. Can you throw it to the ground for me?" Shaw asked the man.

"Oh, sure thing. Is that what this is about?" the suspect replied as he tossed the weapon on the ground.

"We just want to make sure nobody is going to get hurt, including yourself. Can you step toward me with your hands out of your pockets, please?" Shaw continued in his fatherly voice.

As the man in the hoodie approached the two police officers a scent of heavy skunk assaulted their noses.

"Oh my God!" Gail choked.

"How much marijuana have you smoked today, sir?" Oliver asks the man as he covers his face with his shirt sleeve.

"Ummmm… a bit" the man said with a chuckle.

"Okay" Shaw replied with a huff and turned his head to speak to Gail. "This guy is high as a kite. We probably won't need to arrest him. We're going to figure out why he has that knife, search him, and possibly drive him home" he told the blonde officer. She nodded in response.

"Why don't we start with your name, Bob Marley?" Shaw asked with a smile.

"Ryan" he said as he laughed at the officer's joke, not concerned that he might be in trouble.

"Ryan, okay. Do you have any other weapons or drugs on you, Ryan?" he continued.

"No. I was just helping out a buddy with my knife"

"Helping a buddy? Helping him do what?" Shaw questioned.

"Sorry officer, I know this looks bad. Me and my friends are here camping and we were trying to set up our tents but we started to, you know, party" Ryan said as he imitated smoking up a joint in case his words weren't clear enough. "Then we tried to set up our tents but we had to cut some rope. I had this knife in my car so I got it. I was just returning it now. I wasn't using it to hurt anyone, I swear!" he promised with hooded eyes.

"Well Ryan, Officer Peck is going to pick up the knife and we are going to keep it at the station until the weekend is over and you can come pick it up then. Okay?" Shaw looked at the man for confirmation.

"And right now we are going to walk you back to your friends to make sure everyone is being safe. Okay?" Shaw asked again.

"Ah, man! Are you going to bust us?" Ryan asked.

"Look Ryan, we aren't here to ruin anybody's good time. We just want to make sure that- SHIT! PECK! Are you alright!?"

A guttural moan escaped from Gail's mouth as she felt the stoner land on her, tripping over his own feet trying to run from the police. Shaw pulled Ryan off of Gail and cuffed him.

"Peck! Are you hurt? Did you land on the knife?" he called to his partner as a subdued his suspect.

All Gail could see were stars despite the fact that it was in the early afternoon; the only sound she could hear was a ringing in her ears despite her being in the middle of a music festival. Her lungs burned like she was drowning but she couldn't force any air in or out. Finally something gave and oxygen gushed into her lungs.

"We need EMS to the front gates. Officer down! I repeat, officer down!" Shaw screamed into his radio.

"Shaw" Gail groaned. "I'm fine" she said in barely as whisper.

She took in the senior officer's face when he knelt down beside, knowing it looked bad when she could see the colour drain from his face and the strain of worry in his eyes.

"I didn't land on the knife, see?" she said as she lifted her right hand that held the hunting knife without a trace of Peck blood.

She could see the relief that flooded his face when he could see that the knife was clean. She tried to smile to make him feel better but it looked more like a cross between a painful grimace and the face a baby makes when it's farting. He couldn't help himself from laughing when he saw her trying to assuage his fears.

"You look like a million bucks, Peck. But we're still going to send you to see a doc because our would-be escape artist isn't the most petite man I've ever seen" Shaw said as he smiled.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Listen lady, this vest costs more than everything I own combined so no, you are not going to cut it off me" Gail said as sternly as the screaming pain in her chest would let her. "I can sit up and you can undo the Velcro strips and pull it off" she finished saying to the nurse.

The nurse decided not to argue with the blonde police officer that had been transported to the ER via ambulance. The woman was in obvious pain and needed chest X-rays, something that couldn't happen with her Kevlar vest on.

The blonde woman, true to her stubborn word, sat up while the nurse removed her vest as gently as she could. The officer groaned through clenched teeth but never complained once. The nurse removed the officer's uniform shirt as well and was about to gently lift the tight black shirt from ivory skin when a braced arm stopped her.

"This, you can just cut off" the blonde told her as she gently lied back on the bed. "I get these cheap" she finished as the nurse started cutting the black t-shirt off, revealing a deep purple bruise that was already setting in.

"I'm just going to take your vitals and the doctor will be in right away to see you, Officer Peck" the nurse told Gail after she had helped the blonde undress and put on a hospital gown. Gail just nodded.

Once the portable X-ray machine had been wheeled from her room and the doctor was away examining the films, a familiar face walked into her curtained cubicle. Gail just stared into the eyes of the woman who had been avoiding her all week. Holly.

Holly didn't say a word either. Her usually luminous eyes were dulled with worry as she looked Gail up and down. Gail tried to sit up to talk to her, temporarily forgetting her injuries, but the stabbing pain she felt forced her to lie back down as she grunted in pain. This action caused Holly to audibly gasp and her eyes to water. Gail could see the tears threatening to fall down olive skin. The blonde tried reached her hand out to the brunette but she had already left, disappearing just as suddenly as she appeared.

Gail groaned in absolute frustration as she swore a blue streak in her head. When the nurse returned with the doctor who was treating her, Gail donned her best 'fuck you' stare.

"I'd like to know who informed Dr. Stewart that I was being treated here" she said in a voice cold as ice with a razor sharp edge.

The nurse looked to the doctor, who looked at the nurse. "Uhh, patient files are available to all ER personnel. Also, when a member of any emergency service is being treated all the doctors and nurses are told so that we can provide the best service" her doctor told her, unsure why Gail was so upset.

"Can you go and get her for me, please." The please was cursory. Anyone listen to her knew it was a demand.

"Yeah, sure" the nurse said with an uncomfortable shrug. "I'll go right after we finish up."

"I'd like to speak to her right now" Gail responded.

The nurse curtly nodded and left without another word.

When the nurse returned twenty minutes later, Gail knew before the words were spoken.

"I'm sorry Officer Peck, Dr. Stewart is unavailable" was all the nurse told her. Gail sighed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Home from the hospital with nothing more than deeply bruised ribs and orders to rest for a few days, Gail walked to her bedroom and sat on the bed that Holly helped her pick out. The bed that Holly had told her was comfortable, the bed that Holly had helped her bring home against her better judgement and helped her assemble. The damn bed screamed Holly. And it was the only thing Gail had in her apartment.

Trying not to alarm her neighbours, she removed her remaining clothes as delicately as she could. She couldn't stop the groan that passed her lips as she tried to pull her boots off her feet. The entire ordeal of undressing left her in more pain and completely exhausted. Even though it was only slightly past six in the evening, Gail decided it was time for bed.

She slowly slid up the duvet covers to her pile of pillows and nestled herself into her bed. She had never been more thankful in her entire life than she was at this moment that a 190 pound man had not fallen on her before she purchased the mattresses she was lying atop. She fell into a deep sleep almost as soon as her body settled into a bearable position.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

Gail opened her eyes and looked out her bedroom window. It was dark outside and the street light poured through the unclosed drapes onto the floor.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

She looked at her bedside clock. It read 11:43.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

The door. Someone was banging on her front door. Who the hell would show up unannounced at 11:43, demanding to be let in with their incessant knocking? She rolled over and was reminded instantaneously why she had gone to bed so early.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

"Don't get your panties in a twist" Gail mumbled as she gradually rolled out of bed and put on her robe. She started shuffling down the hall to the door.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

She swung the door open against her better judgement, furious that someone could be so obtuse. She was obviously not interested in entertaining guests so why was this person so insistent on seeing her right at this moment?

Holly stared back at her. Holly, with her big, beautiful brown eyes stared right into Gail's own steely blues. Holly, her mouth contorted with emotions she couldn't get her lips to utter. Holly, whose eyes danced over Gail, the relief of seeing her relaxed the worry-lines on her face.

Holly.

"Gail" she finally whispered to the blonde.

Gail closed her slack-jawed mouth. Her eyes took in the woman she'd been trying to contact. The brunette had disheveled clothes, her hair was messy and unwashed, and she had big bags under her eyes. She was still wringing her hands like she had been when Gail saw her outside their apartment complex. Holly was a mess.

"Holly" Gail replied, not really knowing what else to say.

The brunette smiled at her without parting her lips. The smile was one not one of happiness, but a tight-lipped indication that she had been reprieved from the weight of worry she had been feeling. It wasn't a true Holly smile, Gail noted, because even though her lips were smiling, her endlessly fascinating eyes were not.

Gail stepped aside, inviting her in, determined to follow Oliver's advice and offer herself as a life raft for the drowning doctor. Holly looked at her and then took a tentative step into Gail's unfurnished living room. The doctor slid through the door frame, keeping her back to the wall, but it was enough that Gail could close the door without catching the brunette in it. Gail didn't know what to do or say to the distraught woman in front of her so she started with something familiar.

"Hi" she said sheepishly.

"Hi" the brunette whispered back without lifting her eyes from the floor.

The silence between them was deafening. Gail wanted to shout to the woman standing so close to her. She wanted to tell her that she was there for her, in any capacity she needed, but that the brunette had to ask because she simply didn't know how to reach across the gap. She wanted to utter words of comfort, embrace her with them, so that she wouldn't worry. She wanted nothing more than to right every wrong for Holly but she just didn't know _how_.

Instead, she screwed up every ounce of courage she had and said "Holly, I don't know what you need but I am here anyway to go through this with you".

It only took those eighteen words to break the dam. Holly started to silently sob, sliding to a seated position on the floor. She covered her face as she tried to curb her outburst, taking deep breaths.

Seeing Holly come undone made Gail very uncomfortable, never sure how to react when people cried in front of her. She reminded herself of Oliver's words and slowly knelt in front of the brunette. She placed a careful hand on Holly's arm and slowly rubbed it. When Holly's tears subsided, she took a few rattled breaths before she looked into the caring eyes of Gail.

"I'm sorry" she said with a strained voice.

"Don't be" Gail said sweetly. "But please, let me be there for you. We can talk about this, if you want."

Holly looked at her for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah?" Gail confirmed with a comforting smile.

"Yes" Holly said.

"Okay, but not here" Gail said trying to stand up, "my ribs can't handle it" she said, trying to lighten the mood a little. Holly immediately stood up to help her, her compassionate nature shining through even when she's at her lowest.

"Let's go lie in my beautiful, new bed" Gail said as she started for the bedroom while the brunette followed.

Holly helped Gail back into bed before she nestled into the other side. Both women lied in the darkness for a while, letting the moment settle. She had started to wonder if Holly had fallen asleep when she heard a timid voice next to her.

"I have really bad anxiety" Holly whispered Gail her secret.

Gail stretched her good hand out across the expanse of her bed until she felt Holly's arm. She slid her hand down until she could feel her fingers intertwining with the brunette's left hand.

"Tell me about it" the blonde said quietly.

"It started during my undergraduate degree. I would get so worked up about everything. I worried about school, about my friends, my family, being gay, I thought I had all sorts illnesses, I thought my roommate hated me. I stopped eating, I couldn't sleep, my mind raced, I couldn't focus. I thought it was just stress until I went home at Christmas. My parents noticed something was wrong right away and they took me to the doctor. I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder."

"I started therapy and my doctor prescribed medication to help ease my worry. It was really hard for a long time. I developed agoraphobia as a result of the anxiety which was really tough for a science student. Crowds of people made me anxious but not going to class also made me anxious. My worry over missing school always trumped staying home to panic by myself so I would go sit in a lecture hall and practice my breathing exercises."

"I was given all sorts of coping skills. One of them was to schedule my day so that there were no "surprises" for me to worry about. It became something I focused so intently on that it ended up backfiring on me. It got to the point where I had every minute of every day scheduled, including bathroom breaks, and details like what I would wear that day. If my scheduled was off by a few minutes, or the socks I was going to wear weren't clean, it was enough to send me into a spiral that ended with panic attacks."

"Eventually things got better. My medication and therapy really made a difference and I started to get back to my old self again. By the time I was in medical school, I had stopped seeing my therapist and my anxiety meds had been reduced. I felt good again and I could enjoy life."

"It's flared up over the years since then. Once when I was completing my residency, once a couple of years after that when my dad got sick, and now" Holly said, shifting in the bed uncomfortably.

"It's usually when there is a big change or stress in my life that I can feel my anxiety worsen" the brunette added.

Gail could feel the doctor squirming in the bed next to her, could feel the clammy sweat in the hand she was holding. She could feel Holly's heart rate increasing by the hammering pulse in her wrist.

"Holly" Gail started tentatively, "are you feeling anxious now?" she asked.

Holly didn't say anything but Gail could feel her nodding. When the blonde turned to look at the brunette, she could see the doctor was holding back tears. The officer reached out with both arms and pulled the doctor into her, resting the brunette's head on her chest, just above her left breast. Gail held her for a few minutes while she gently stroked her back.

"Holly, can you hear my heart beating?" Gail asked after a few minutes.

"Yes" came the reply.

"Focus on that" Gail whispered to the woman in her arms. The blonde started to slowly hum lullabies, feeling the tense doctor slowly relax. The excruciating pain she felt searing through her was worth it knowing that it helped Holly.

Eventually Gail ran out of lullabies so she just hummed along to the soundtrack of the night. The crickets chirping, the apartment settling, the occasional car passing, the leaky faucet she kept meaning to fix. When Holly started to stir, she stopped her aria.

"How did you know to do that?" Holly asked. "How did you know that was going to help?"

Gail swallowed hard. She had decided she'd be honest with the doctor if she asked.

"When I was in high school I went on exchange to France. My mother wanted me to learn French. I was placed with a family that had two young boys, one was seven, the other was four" Gail started.

"Their mother was great but the father was an abusive asshole. I never saw him hit any of them but I could see the way they cowered around him. The boys would hide when he came home from work and if one of them was crying their mother would bring them to the basement so their father wouldn't hear."

"The youngest boy, Antoine, would come into my room at night when his father would yell at his mother. I think the man was also an alcoholic. Antoine would crawl into my lap and hold on to me so tight. I couldn't believe how strong a little boy could be. He would place his head on my chest and say to me "_On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur_" which was a line from his favourite book _Le Petit Prince_" Gail said with a tight jaw, trying not to cry at the memory of the little boy in her lap.

"Then he would just sit there and listen to my heartbeat. It would relax him, and distract him from what was happening downstairs. Then he'd fall asleep and I'd carry him to bed" Gail finished with a hushed voice.

"What does that mean?" Holly asked when Gail didn't continue.

"_We only see well with the heart_" she replied quietly. Holly pulled herself tighter to Gail as the blonde tried her best not to cry.

"I told my exchange coordinator in France what was happening and she called the authorities. I was pulled from their house right away. I never got to see him again" Gail finished her story in a barely audible whisper as the tears streamed down her face.

Holly pulled herself up and looked at Gail. Her own almost-black-in-the-dark eyes met the opulent cobalt of the blonde's, eyes that shone like diamonds as they caught the street light in their tears. She gently brushed tears from alabaster skin and then slowly pressed her full lips to Gail's.

The kiss was tender and slow. Not one of passion, but one of comfort. Feeling Holly's lips against her own, Gail understood it was Holly's way of saying "thank you". The blonde reciprocated in kind, using her mouth to let the brunette know that she was safe with her.

The kiss lasted only a few seconds but felt like an eternity. Without making a single sound, they were able to communicate to each other things that couldn't be conveyed in a thousand words. The two women lied in the bed, holding each other close.

"Antoine is the reason I moved to Timmins" Gail said as she looked into Holly's eyes. "There is an outreach unit here that works with abused children. It's a lot easier for a rookie cop to get into the outreach program here than any of the children's aid programs they have in Toronto. I've never told anyone that's why I applied for this detachment. Everyone thought I came here to spite my mother."

"Why didn't you just tell them?" Holly asked quietly, as she pushed the hair back from Gail's face.

"I didn't tell anyone about Antoine. When I was moved to another family everyone back home assumed that I was being a pain in the ass. I couldn't tell them the truth. They'd never understand why I want to help kids now" she responded as she ran her hands up and down Holly's side.

Gail felt exhausted. She had never shared this part of her life with another human being and doing so left her feeling raw. She was surprised that telling Holly this story didn't make her feel vulnerable or weak.

"Why have you been feeling anxious lately?" Gail asked, hoping Holly had settled enough to talk about it.

Holly smiled at the beautifully complex and deep woman she was lying in bed with. She felt more comfortable with the woman she had only known a few short weeks than she had with friends she'd known a lifetime. More than anything, she wanted to be honest with Gail.

"When I feel deep emotion, sometimes it comes out as anxiety" the brunette said. "I've been feeling a lot of things lately that were unexpected and wasn't really sure how to deal with them" she finished.

"Why were they unexpected?"

"Because you were unexpected" Holly replied. She let her statement hang in the air, waiting for Gail to understand. A small smile formed on the blonde's lips.

"You have feelings for me?" the blonde asked tentatively.

"Yes" Holly answered, hoping Gail's smile was a good sign. "I didn't know how to deal with that. I wanted to be your friend but I haven't felt this way, in well, ever, and I thought you were straight. Things escalated when I heard you had been injured at work and that really sent my anxiety into overdrive. That was what made me realize that I had to tell you how I felt because even if you didn't feel the same way, I knew I had at least be honest with you and myself" Holly said with a self-conscious shrug.

Gail leaned in for another kiss. This one was longer but still sweet. When she pulled away she looked into Holly's hooded eyes.

"I feel the same way about you" she whispered.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to review this story! I read and appreciate every comment!

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Enjoy!

**Chapter 8**

Three days. Seventy two hours. Four thousand three hundred and twenty minutes. She could even tell you the exact number of seconds, if you asked (259,200). That is how long it had been since Gail woke up with a beautiful doctor wrapped in her arms. The amount of time it had been since they decided that they both wanted to see where "this" was headed, see if "us" could be a possibility, and agreed to take whatever it was they were about to embark on slowly.

She'd been cleared for light duty which meant that she was stuck with desk duty, but the blonde didn't mind. It allowed her to focus more of her thoughts on what Holly was doing at the moment. She knew she was in deep when she caught herself wondering how Holly took her coffee so that she could make it just right. The thought popped into Gail's brain unannounced when Gail was getting her own cup in the break room. She had it bad, she knew it, and she didn't even mind.

Gail hadn't been this happy in a long time. She was genuinely surprised by the emotion. Someone had cut in front of her at Tim Horton's this morning and she just let them go first without a single curse or glaring daggers. She even smiled.

It was this fit of happiness that had Gail agreeing to return to the Black Penny with Chris and his husband after shift. Chris had promised that Aaron Samuels wouldn't be there and that he and Dennis wanted to treat her given her last experience at their favourite watering hole. Well, happiness and the promise of free alcohol made Gail agree.

If she was being truthful, the only reason she accepted the invitation from Chris and wasn't going to be spending time with Holly was that the brunette was starting a hellish work week. One doctor was out on maternity leave while two more were on vacation. Despite the respite doctor the hospital had contracted from Winnipeg for the week, the woman was still scheduled for 98 hours in seven short days. It meant that Gail wouldn't really being seeing much of her, if at all. If Gail hadn't been on such a blissful high, she would have been very upset by this.

Her good mood was improved even further when she felt the vibrations of the phone in her pocket.

Nerd: _A small child just puked _a lot _of vomit on my shoes. I am a doctor and the amount of candy he had stuffed in his body surprised even me._

Gail: _Yuck :(_

Gail smiled to herself, imagining the brunette covered in regurgitated sweets. She tried not to feel such warm feelings for the doctor considering she was probably in the washroom scrubbing her footwear, but she couldn't help herself. She shook her head but the smile was still there, refusing to break and giving her away to anyone who looked at her.

"Why are you smiling at your crotch, Peck? It's weird" Oliver teased her as he approached her work station.

She looked up at her training officer, mortified that she'd been caught smiling like an idiot and worried she was about to be reprimanded. The look on Oliver's face told her that he was just trying to poke at her.

"Sorry, sir" she replied, putting her phone away.

"Well, whoever is on the other end of that message is lucky to be getting you" he said with a sincere smile.

"Huh?" was the blonde's response. She'd been called many things in her life, but a good girlfriend had never been one of them.

"You, Peck. You're a wonderful person. You're dedicated and loyal and caring. I can see that already. Whomever you end up with will be getting a good one" he said with a wink as he walked away from the front desk having found the form he needed.

Gail was unsure of how to respond when she heard her phone vibrate again. She pulled it out to see a missed call from her mother.

"Uh" Gail moaned. If anything could kill feelings of joy or happiness, it was Elaine Peck. She didn't want to deal with that and felt safe ignoring her mother's call being so far away. She was about to put the phone away again when it vibrated with another message from Holly.

Nerd: _It was better than that time in med school when I puked on my patient. I wish I could see you tonight. I have to put my phone away now. Bodies need fixing : )_

Gail spent the rest of her shift grinning like a moron. She decided she didn't care if everyone knew she was happy.

XXXXXXXXXX

Chris had started his shift before Gail, her desk duty pushing her shift back a couple of hours, so he went home to pick up Dennis with the promise of returning to collect her when she finished her shift. She suspected it was so she couldn't back out at the last minute and just drive home.

When the two men arrived at the station to pick her up, she was already changed and waiting outside. Even though she wasn't wearing the smile she'd had plastered on her face all day, Chris could tell she was still happy. She had a bounce in her step that wasn't usually there.

She hopped into Chris' truck without an invitation and said "take me out, boys!" as she pulled on her seatbelt. Chris wasn't sure what had changed in her, but his usually silent and sullen partner was chipper and upbeat. He liked it.

Once they arrived to the Penny, Chris went right to the bar to order drinks. Gail and Dennis sat down at the same table as their last excursion. She looked over to see Chris handing his car keys over to the bartender in exchange for a pitcher of beer and six full shot glasses.

"We're really glad you decided to come out with us tonight, Gail" Dennis said to Gail as they settled in.

"If there's one thing I don't turn down it's free alcohol" she replied as she watched Chris make his way over. She was pleased to see that tonight looked like it was going to be a good one considering that her ride has already surrendered his car keys and ordered shots.

"Voilà!" Chris exclaimed as he set drinks down on the table. He was grinning proudly as he pushed two shots towards Gail. "I got tequila for you" he said in a mischievous voice.

Gail looked at him through squinted eyes, not moving toward the tequila. Chris noticed her hesitation and tried to ease her mind.

"You were grumbling about only wanting tequila and a long bath the other day. I heard you say it so I figured tequila was your go to drink" he told her with a shrug.

Satisfied with the reason, Gail picked up her shot glass and drank the liquor with gusto. She had always liked the taste of tequila, loved the way it felt burning down her throat. She smiled for the n_th_ time today as the tequila reached her stomach.

"You seem really content today, Gail" Dennis commented after they toasted the second shot. She looked at him with the same skeptical expression she had given his husband moments before.

"I can see it in your eyes. You are giving off positive vibes" he told her. Noticing her displeasure in being described as 'giving off positive vibes' he continued. "I can feel the happiness emanating from your pores" he laughed.

"I am _not_ giving off any vibes" she replied curtly. "Except maybe 'don't fuck with me' vibes, I give those off regularly" she finished with a tight lipped grin as she lifted her beer glass to her lips. She knew, however, that her eyes gave her away. And she knew they could see it.

"Come on Gail, you've been glowing all day. Why don't you want to tell us what's making you radiate?" Chris asked, offended that she didn't want to tell him.

"For starters, I neither 'glow' nor do I 'radiate'. I _shine_ with awesomeness" she said as she fluttered her eyelids. "And if you must know, I'm getting my stitches out this week. I'm very pleased about that" she lied.

"Oh honey, I hope you're never in charge of interrogating a suspect. You're a terrible liar" Dennis told her with a sympathetic smile. "Actually, I'm not sure what you two will do down the road. Chris is an awful liar too" he said with smirk to his husband.

"I am not!" Chris retorted. "How long did I lie to you when you found your engagement ring?" he joked playfully with his spouse.

"Sweetie, I let you think I believed you so I wouldn't ruin your plan to propose" Dennis replied with a pitying grin.

Chris just smiled and gave his husband a quick kiss on the lips. "We're not talking about me right now, we're talking about Gail and why she's so cheerful today" Diaz said, turning the conversation away from him.

The smile Gail felt on her face watching the two men who are clearly in love dripped off her face as she realized the conversation had not been successfully diverted and was being redirected toward her. She really didn't want to talk about why she was so happy because she didn't like talking about her feelings. She also wasn't even sure how to put her emotions into words; she didn't even think they could be explained using any combination of letters.

"A girl can't just be in a good mood?" she asked sarcastically.

"No" came the instantaneous and chorused reply from both men. Gail just rolled her eyes and refused to continue. Picking up on her hesitation, Chris changed the subject.

"How is Timmins treating you so far, Gail?" he asked.

Gail just shrugged. "It's fine. I bought a bed the other day" she told him as her feelings toward Holly crept out on her face, thinking of the memory.

"You've been this happy, all day, because of a new bed?" Chris asked her incredulously.

"Or whoever she's had in it" Dennis interjected with a salacious glint in his eye.

Gail nearly choked on her beer, her face turning a deep shade of red. She couldn't look either man in the eye.

"Ooohhh, so it _is _someone!" Dennis said excited for the blonde.

"Dennis, leave her alone. She obviously doesn't want to talk about it" Chris came to Gail's aid.

"Don't be such a sourpuss Chris" Dennis chastised Chris. "Maybe she does want to talk about it but she doesn't have anyone to tell" he continued as he smiled brightly at Gail.

"Nope. Nobody new. Nothing to talk about. I live alone. Nobody in my bed" her flush returned to her face as she finished her statement.

"Alright, alright. I can take a hint" Dennis told her with his hands in the air in surrender.

"I'm glad you're liking Timmins so far, Gail" Chris changed the subject. "I hope you'll stay for a while" she said with a proud smile. The man truly did love his hometown.

"Let's not get too carried away here, Diaz. I have a one year contract. After that I'm due back in Toronto" Gail told her partner.

"We'll see about that" Chris said with a confident smile.

The night carried on with conversation and the drinks flowed. The source of Gail's delight was not mentioned again. The trio discussed schooling, with the two officers swapping stories from the Academy. Chris finished the rotation ahead of Gail so they didn't have the same classmates but the program and the instructors were the same.

Gail could feel the buzz in her brain that drunkenness brought along. She could feel the anger she generally carried around slipping away as the blanket of warmth that was alcohol encircled her. She was genuinely enjoying her evening with her partner and his husband. She wasn't even upset when another couple joined them.

She could tell Chris was feeling the alcohol too when he tried to introduce the new-comers.

"Gail!" he shouted to her. Adjusting his level of volume he continued "these are our friends Mike and Thomas. They are also married" he told her in case the arm Mike had around Thomas and the hand Thomas had in Mike's lap didn't give away a relationship.

She smiled to the men and nodded.

"Well it seems like you three are a ways ahead of us" Mike commented. "Looks like we have some catching up to do" he said to Thomas.

"I know how we can catch up" Thomas said to the entire group. "Let's play Never Have I Ever" he said with a grin.

Chris groaned. "I don't like that game" he admitted.

"Don't be such a prude, Chris!" Dennis teased his husband. "It'll be fun!" he said with a smile.

Gail just nodded. Mostly because she was drunk but also because she was hoping that with four married men things wouldn't get too debaucherous.

"Ladies first" Thomas told her.

Gail decided to start off relatively mild.

"Never have I ever gone streaking" she said. She looked around the table as she sipped her beer- the only one who sipped her beer. "Good start, Peck" she chided herself.

"Never have I ever made out at the movie theatre" Dennis said to the group. Everybody drank.

Gail could feel the vibration in her pocket.

Nerd: _Sixteen hours down, eight more to go! At least I got the puke off my shoes :s How has your night been?_

Gail: _:( My night is good so far. Out with Chris and we're playing Never Have I Ever._

Nerd: _Interesting. _

Gail: _Want to play too?_

Gail was surprised by her own forwardness. She started blushing a bit and was grateful that the booze was making her cheeks rosy.

"Never have I ever heard my parents having sex" Chris said.

"Oh God!" Dennis said with a disgusted look on his face. He drank anyway. Gail couldn't help but laugh and then remembered that time out at the cabin. She took a sip of her own beer.

Nerd:_ Yes, I do. You go first._

Gail: _Never have I ever kissed a boy._

Nerd: _*sips gin and tonic*_

Gail: _You know that gin is panty remover, right?_

Nerd: _You're awfully brazen, Officer. _

"Never have I ever watched a porno" Mike said. Everyone drank.

"Really, Gail? I always just assumed us dirty men watched porn" Dennis asked the blonde officer.

Gail just shrugged her shoulders.

Gail: _I'm just looking out for you Nerd. Your turn._

Nerd: _Never have I ever kissed a girl._

Gail: _*twirls beer in hand*_

Gail: _Well, except for you._

Nerd: _Interesting._

"Never have I ever had sex in a public place" Thomas said as he looked right at Chris and Dennis. The married men both blushed and gulped their beer sheepishly. Gail couldn't help but laugh at their embarrassment even though she herself was drinking her beer.

Gail: _Never have I ever gone skinny dipping._

Nerd: _*takes a long drink from her delicious gin and tonic*_

Gail: _Hahaha does that mean you only swim naked?_

Nerd: _Hmmmm. I don't think you're allowed to ask questions after the initial _Never Have I Ever_ has been answered._

"Earth to Gail!" Chris called to her. "Your turn!" he said with enthusiasm.

"Never have I ever used handcuffs in bed." Everyone but Mike drank.

Gail: _Fine. You go._

Nerd: _Never have I ever touched myself._

Gail's eyes widened as her jaw dropped.

"Never have I ever had a threesome." It was Dennis' turn again and things were starting to get dirty. Mike and Thomas drank.

Gail: _*timidly sips beer with downcast eyes*_

Nerd: _Are you embarrassed, Gail?_

Gail: _I thought we established that you weren't allowed to ask follow up questions?_

Nerd: _Hahaha fair. _

"Never have I ever been aroused when I was getting a physical." Chris wasn't great with dirty questions. Everyone just looked at him as he turned bright red and sipped his beer.

Gail: _Never have I ever had sex on the first date._

Nerd: _*gently stirs cocktail with a straw*_

"Never have I ever had anal sex" Mike said. Everyone at the table drank but Gail.

Nerd: _Never have I ever had sex outside._

Gail: *_enjoys a refreshing sip of her alcoholic beverage*_

"Never have I ever maturbated with someone else in the room. As a sexual act with a consenting partner doesn't count" Thomas said as he looked at the others. Gail, Mike, and Dennis drank.

"Never have I ever had sex in another country" Gail said. Everyone drank.

Gail: _Never have I ever watched other people have sex in real life._

Gail was expecting a response right away, not sure what else to ask and expecting a negative reply. A few minutes passed and still no answer from Holly. She thought maybe the doctor's break was over and she was back at work as the game continued with the men around the table. When Thomas was about to say his _'Never have I ever'_ she felt her phone buzz.

Nerd: _*takes a shot of gin*_

The sharp intake of air caused Gail to cough, not sure how else to respond to the revelation. She took a sip of her beer to wet her now dry mouth when Chris broke her focus.

"You've used anal beads while dressed as a cowboy, Gail?" he asked incredulously, a look of shock on his face.

"What?" she asked him.

"Thomas just asked if anyone had used anal beads while dressed as a cowboy and you drank. You've used anal beads while roleplaying as a man?" he asked her, the surprise still on his face.

Gail looked around the table at everyone. Expressions ranged from the look of sheer glee and excitement on Dennis' face to learn something taboo about her, to Chris' own shocked face, to one of disgust from Mike. Gail couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation, Holly distracting her from the game at hand and Gail admitting to an act she had never committed.

"So what if I have done that?" she asked.

"Anal beads are gross" Mike said.

"No they aren't. Just because you don't like something, doesn't make it gross" Thomas told him as he swatted his arm playfully.

Gail just looked at the men and said "well, I think it's safe to say that this game is over. Plus, I need to use the ladies room" she continued as she got up.

Being on her feet and attempting to walk made her realize just how much she'd had to drink already tonight. She could feel her legs getting heavier and her vision narrowing. She picked up her phone once she got across the room. She'd received a new text from the doctor.

Nerd: _Never have I ever been in love._

Gail stopped walking. The question hit her like a ton of bricks, a sobering sensation coming over her. Had she been in love before? She had had a boyfriend through her undergraduate degree and she thought she had loved him. She had even told him so. But now that she's met Holly she's not sure what they'd had was actually love. Not that she loved Holly, but she already felt things with the woman that she'd never felt in three years with Nicholas. Maybe she's actually been a lesbian this entire time and was just realizing it now? She tried to shake the thought from her head, knowing that drunken self-reflection was never productive for her and usually led to bottle smashing or face punching.

She stared at her screen as she typed the words.

Gail: _*takes a mini sip, but isn't sure if it's an actual drink or not*_

Nerd: _Since I am not allowed to ask any follow ups, I will say that I'd like to further discuss this at a later time. For now, I have to get back to work. I was just paged. Have fun and be safe :)_

Gail's stomach did a flip as she read the message.

Gail: _I'll see you soon, Nerd_

Gail returned to the table. She sat down with a huff, stopping the conversation around her. All four men looked at her but she just turned her phone around in her good hand.

"You alright there, Princess?" Dennis asked Gail.

"I think I'm a lesbian" she replied with a pout.

All the men at the table started laughing. Gail couldn't help but join in, knowing their laughing was with her and not at her. She realized how out of context her statement had been.

When the laughter died down Chris looked at the blonde woman and put a hand on her arm. "I know you are Gail" he told her with a genuine smile.

"How did you know that? _I _didn't even know that?" she asked.

"Chris has amazing gaydar" Dennis responded.

"I give off lesbian vibes?" The conversation was confusing Gail more and more.

"It's not like emanating a stench, Gail. Chris just gets a gut feeling and it's usually right" Dennis defended his husband.

"That's why I've been trying to tell you about how it's easy to be gay in Timmins. Telling you how there is a supportive community here. Why I wanted you to come out tonight to meet Mike and Tom so you could see that there are a lot of successful, well-adjusted gay people in this town" Chris told Gail with a smile.

"And don't worry, Gail. You're cute so you'll find yourself a hot girlfriend in no time" Dennis reassured her as he drank the last of his beer. "Especially if you're into butch woman. Oh, are you into butch women? If you are, there's a woman at my gym that I think you'd be great for!" he told Gail.

"Too much, Dennis! She's not even sure she's gay!" Chris tried to reel in the discussion. "Besides, I think she already has a lady in mind" Chris said to Dennis but she knew it was directed at her.

"Oh, that's right! The woman in her bed!" Dennis exclaimed.

"She's already had a woman in her bed and she doesn't think she's a lesbian? Does that mean I'm not actually gay?" Mike asked jokingly.

"I did not sleep with anyone in my new bed!" Gail announced deciding she needed to end their speculation. "She's a friend of mine who happens to be a lesbian. That's all I'm going to say about it" she said firmly.

Everyone nodded at her and continued on with their drinks. She sat silently, enjoying her drink and thinking about Holly, until the music cut out and the bar owner announced it was time for karaoke. Gail smiled. "A good ending to a good night" she thought to herself as she headed for the microphone.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning was rough. Her ribs still hurt, the booze temporarily numbed the pain and allowed her to overdo it the night before. Her head was pounding from the copious number of shots she took and the room was still spinning. True to her Peck heritage, she decided the only way to get over this hangover was to make herself feel worse than she did now. _Pecks don't get sick _she could hear her mother's voice in her head. So she rolled out of bed, put on the closest sweatpants and t-shirt she could find, and pulled on her running shoes.

She was so distracted by the throbbing in her temples that she almost missed the note taped next to the lock on the outside of her front door. Only one person would leave her a note and she could feel the endorphin rush as she flipped it over.

_Good morning Officer,_

_I'm sure you need the extra sleep today so I didn't want to wake you with a text. I know you got in late because I heard you stumble around last night while performing a solo concert of TLC's entire CrazySexyCool album. You have an amazing voice, by the way. _

_I just wanted to ask you if you'd like to go out on a date with me? In keeping with our playing high school games I figured it was appropriate to ask you out via note. Please check the box with your response._

□ _Hell yes! I can't wait! What took you so long to ask?_

□ _I'm busy that night. And every other night. Please don't mention this again._

_I hope you're not too miserable today!_

_-Nerd_

Gail giggled to herself as she read the note a second time, not wanting to return it to its author. She smiled as she ran an extra mile, ignoring the pain in her ribs and throbbing in her head. Holly asked her out. That's all that mattered today.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you to those that are reading this! Please feel free to review; I read and appreciate every one!

My tumblr is baileychabot

Enjoy!

**Chapter 9**

If you turned on Holly's laptop and checked her recent Google searches, you'd find 'cute date ideas', 'cute lesbian dates', and 'things to do in Timmins, Ontario' among her top searches. When she'd asked Gail out, she assumed the police officer would say 'yes', but didn't think past the asking part to the planning part. She felt out of her element. Even though she'd lived in Timmins for a while, she didn't have her bona fide date spots to take the officer. Not only that, she wanted the date to be great, not just good. The extra pressure she was adding was making her anxiety levels creep up, compounded by her lack of sleep.

"Let's see" the brunette said as she perused online for date ideas, "get up at 4am and watch the sunrise. I don't think she'd like that."

_Click-click_

"Have an extravagant brunch at 8am. Still too early."

_Click-click_

"Mix CD trade. Where's the date in that?"

_Click-click_

"Hot air ballooning. I don't think they have that in Timmins."

_Click-click_

"Decorate a Christmas tree together. Cute, but not in September."

The brunette stretched her long legs. The hours she's been working this week were reminiscent of her of her time as a resident at Vancouver General Hospital. Her muscles were sore, her stomach was upset from eating junk from the vending machine, and her head ached from a lack of sleep, but she rose an extra hour early so she could start planning the perfect date for Gail.

She was glad that the date had to be set a week after she had asked Gail out. She needed the time first, to figure out where she was going to take the blonde, second, to calm her nerves and get excited. She was starting to get worried as she clicked through ideas and nothing jumped out at her. She really wanted to get this right.

_Click-click_

The brunette smiled as she read the date suggestion. She knew this was unconventional, but so had everything between her and the blonde been up to this point, so why not a strange first date? "Something to tell the grandkids" she grinned as she closed her computer, content with their agenda for the evening.

XXXXXXXXXX

If you turned on Gail's laptop and checked her recent Google searches, you'd find 'lesbian sex', 'how to have lesbian sex' and 'first time lesbian sex' among her top searches. When Holly had asked her out, she was excited and said 'yes', but didn't think past the being asked part to the date part. She felt out of her element. Even though she'd been asked out, and gone on dates, it had never been with a woman. She had a lot of questions she was unsure of; is Holly paying because she did the asking? Do they go Dutch? Is flirting with a woman the same as flirting with a man? What if Holly made a move? Did two women sleep together on the first date or was that a lesbian no-no? She was feeling extra pressure because not only was it a woman she was going on a date with, it was Holly- this amazing woman whose mere presence did things to Gail's emotions she'd never experienced before.

"Alright, Peck. Figure this out" she tried to talk herself up.

_Click-click_

"Tri-ba-dism" she pronounced slowly. "_'a form of non-penetrative sex in which a woman rubs her vulva against her partner's body for sexual stimulation, especially for ample stimulation of the clitoris'_" Gail blinked a few times. "I guess I have technically done that. That's like dry humping without the clothes, right?" she asked her empty bedroom.

_Click-click_

"Mutual masturbation" she nodded. "I can get onboard with that."

_Click-click_

"Anilingus? Lesbians do that? I guess any two people with a tongue and an anus could" she answered her own question.

_Click-click_

"Cunnilingus. Right. I guess I should be familiar with that" she said to herself as she read the description. She cocked her head to the side as she studied the accompanying diagram. "Hmmmmm. I didn't know it looked quite like that. Wait- there are positions? Missionary cunnilingus? Doggy style? Huh."

_Click-click_

"Scissoring. Wait. I thought they only did that in pornos? That's an actual lesbian thing?" She clicked through more diagrams. "I guess that's not _quite _the same as the porno version. I wonder if Holly likes to scissor" she thought aloud. Thinking of Holly in such a compromising position kick-started Gail's heart and made her mouth go dry.

The blonde shook the thought of her head and licked her lips. She didn't want to get too far ahead of herself. The point of the research was to understand the basics, and scissoring seemed like at least intermediate lesbian. She prided herself on being a fast learner but she wasn't quite there yet.

_Click-click_

"A video? I guess it wouldn't hurt to watch this" the officer said as she pushed play and made sure the volume on her laptop was low.

XXXXXXXXXX

Gail was feeling overwhelmed. She was feeling better about the 'sex with a woman' part but certainly not better about the actual date part. She was excited about her date with Holly in three days, thrilled to see the doctor that she's been missing for the last four days, but she was terrified that she was going to mess up their date. What if they didn't have anything to talk about? What if Holly realized she didn't like Gail after all? What if the doctor just felt bad for Gail because of the Antoine story and was just taking pity on her? Her mind raced as she tried to focus on the task at hand. Oliver was driving the squad car while he quizzed his rookie on proper protocol when pulling over a vehicle.

"What next?" he asked her.

"Uhh… Umm… Ask for licence and registration?" she replied, having not really heard the question.

"You're not going to get out of your car first? Approach the vehicle? You're just going light up your sirens, park behind a civilian vehicle, and then talk to yourself?" he asked her.

Gail berated herself for not paying attention. Her thoughts about Holly were flustering her and she wasn't familiar with the sensation. Nobody had ever gotten so deep under her skin before.

"Obviously I'd get out of my car first" she tried to sound confident but the crack in her voice gave her away. "I can't use the _Accio _charm. I'm not Hermione Granger" she mumbled.

"Didn't get your letter, Peck? Mine came, I just decided that I was too cool for Hogwarts" he joked, poking her in the side.

"You wish!" she countered, feeling better that her senior officer was rolling with her punches.

"Okay, you've exited the vehicle. What then?" he asked.

"Approach the vehicle cautiously with my hand on my weapon. Draw my weapon if I feel a threat of danger to myself or the general public. Otherwise ask the driver to roll down their window, turn off the ignition, and hand me their licence and registration" Gail answered assuredly.

"Good" he said with a smile, "let's go get some snacks and talk about why you've been mumbling 'what if' all morning".

XXXXXXXXXX

"So mumbles, what's up?" Oliver asked through a mouth full of donut.

"What?" Gail asked.

"You've been talking to yourself under your breath all day. You're usually focused but today it's like you have ants in your pants" he told her as he wiped jelly off his face.

"Oh" was all she could think to reply.

"Yeah" he continued. "So, what are all these 'what if' scenarios about?"

"Oh, nothing" Gail responded as nonchalantly as she could. The reddening of her face told another story. "I'm just trying to decide what colour to paint my toe nails at my weekly pedicure" she said with a shrug.

"Fuschia" he responded, without skipping a beat, "but that's not what we're talking about and you know it. I have daughters, Peck. I can spot deflection from a mile away" he told her with a smile. Gail contemplated the pastry in her hand.

"I, uh, I have a date" she stuttered.

"A date? That's exciting. Why are you so upset about it?" Oliver asked her.

Gail exhaled loudly and sunk further into her bench seat.

"It's just that, it's different, you know? This date matters" she said quietly.

"I get it" he nodded. "I felt that way on my first date with my wife. Sometimes you just know when things mean more" he said, as he bit into his second helping.

"You knew it was different with your wife?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I knew it as soon as she introduced herself. Her name is Celery, like the vegetable. She came into the station because someone had stolen her jewelry box when one of her spells didn't work" he said with nothing but adoration in his eyes.

"Her spells? Did you marry a wizard?" she scoffed.

"Wizards aren't real, Peck. I married a witch" he replied.

"Seriously?" Gail asked.

"You can't help who you fall for. That's what love is, unconditional" the senior officer said with a smile and shrug.

Gail nodded. She understood completely.

XXXXXXXXXX

Gail: _What do you have planned for us this evening?_

Nerd: _It's a surprise :)_

Gail groaned. She was already nervous, so nervous she was contemplating keeping a face cloth in her purse to wipe the sweat off her palms; she didn't need surprises to be thrown into the mix.

Gail: _How will I know what to wear? The best part of the date is getting dressed!_

Nerd: _That's the best part? Good thing _I'm_ taking you out, so you can see what a _good _date is like._

Gail: _Someone is sure of herself._

Nerd: _Well, I have to say, I've never had any complaints in the date department. Wear whatever you're most comfortable. Jeans and t-shirt or something like that._

Gail: _Wow. Jeans and a t-shirt? You're really planning on wining and dining me, aren't you?_

Nerd: _:)_

Gail: _Fine. What time should I be ready?_

Nerd: _I'll be at your door at 7!_

Gail: _See you then._

XXXXXXXXXX

At exactly 7PM Gail heard a knock on her front door. She wiped her palms on her jeans again. She felt happy to be wearing her favourite jeans mostly because they made her ass look amazing but also because it made the date feel less formal. Gail took a deep breath and opened the door to the beautiful woman standing on the other side.

"Hi!" Holly said with her half-grin that Gail was starting to notice made her limbs feel like noodles. "You ready?" the doctor asked.

Gail smiled warmly. "Just let me grab my coat" she told the brunette.

"No need. We aren't going far" Holly replied as she offered her arm to the blonde.

Gail laughed at the chivalrous gesture but accepted none the less. Holly led her to the stairwell, but didn't take her to the ground floor. She exited on the second floor, Holly's own floor. When they arrived at the apartment Gail knew was below hers she couldn't help but look at the doctor with curious eyes.

"I think we're moving pretty quick here, doctor" she laughed. "You haven't even bought me dinner and you're already taking me home?"

Holly blushed, not thinking about how a date in her own apartment might be perceived. "I didn't think of it like that" she said thoughtfully, "if you're uncomfortable here, we can go out". Her genuine concern for Gail made the blonde smile.

"No, this is fine. I was just teasing" Gail said as she reached for Holly's front door.

Gail pushed the door open unceremoniously. She walked in and removed her shoes before she actually looked at her surroundings. Gone was the nice coffee table she had seen when she shimmied up the drain pipe, and in its place were piles of blankets, pillows, and… milk crates? She turned and looked at Holly.

"Ta da!" the doctor exclaimed, thinking no explanation was necessary.

"Are we having a nap… on a milk crate bed? Is that what you have planned for us? Because I gotta tell you, Nerd, I have a very comfortable new bed one floor up" she said as she continued to look around the living room.

"No! We're going to build a fort, order Chinese food, and play X-Box! I even got that new shooter game _Dragon _Something" Holly replied as if it were the most obvious thing.

Gail's jaw dropped. "Do you mean _Dragon Slayer_?" Gail asked with a mix of awe and incredulity. Never in her life had she had someone get a first date _SO _right.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. Have you played it?"

"Not yet! It's gotten amazing reviews though! Gamer's Weekly gave it 9.5 out of 10 and GamePro is already talking about Game of the Year nominations! The graphics are supposed to be unreal!" Gail continued her rant like a kid on Christmas morning.

And just like that both women had forgotten their nerves and were back to their comfortable banter. Holly led them first through the kitchen to grab some beer and then they started on the task of building a fort.

When their structure was complete, Gail went to the kitchen for another couple of beer while Holly ordered their dinner. And that's when Gail spotted it. A red lunchbox sitting on Holly's counter, next to the microwave.

"Holly" she started after she heard the brunette hang up. "Do you take your meals to work with you in a lunchbox?" she teased.

Holly came into the small kitchen to see what Gail was talking about.

"Gail, that's a medical supplies kit. It has a suture kit, burn cream, bandages, tensors, and other first aid supplies. I don't keep any food in there" she told her.

"Sure, _Lunchbox._" Gail poked the brunette in the sides as she walked past her to the living room with a fresh beer. "Let's get this party started!" she said as she picked up her controller.

One hour, two servings of General Tao's chicken, four eggrolls (all for Gail), and four beers each later, both women were laying on their stomachs in their fort playing _Dragon Slayer_. Holly was starting to get the hang of the game. Or at least the she thought she was getting the hang of it- she might just be tipsy.

"Yes!" the doctor shouted when she slayed one of the dragon bosses. Gail turned to look at her.

"What are you so happy about?" she asked.

"I just killed that big bastard!" she said proudly.

"No. _I_ just killed him. You're the other side of the screen. You've been shooting at the cave wall for 15 minutes now despite being out of ammo" the blonde teased.

"Shit!" Holly laughed, "I thought I was doing so well."

Gail started laughing too, so Holly playfully nudged Gail with her elbow. Gail turned and looked at Holly's face properly. Her full lips were smiling so big her brown eyes sparkled. Gail wasn't even sure what she was doing but next thing she knew, she was leaning into the doctor. She placed a quick kiss on her lips.

When Gail opened her eyes, the brunette's elated face had turned to one of surprise. Gail was about to panic, thinking she had overstepped, when she felt herself being rolled over. The doctor was on top of her, crashing her lips into the blonde's like waves against the rocks. Gail had barely enough time to respond when all of a sudden her world came crashing around her.

The fort collapsed on top of the women, one of them having knocked over a crucial support in their melee of limbs. Surprised, Holly started to laugh and Gail did the same.

"You had this whole thing planned, didn't you Lunchbox?" Gail asked her as she started pulling back the blanket that had been the roof.

"Planned what? That we poorly engineer a structure that collapses right when we start making out?" she laughed as she tried to help Gail pull the blanket off.

"Ow" Gail winced all of a sudden.

"What?" Holly looked at her with concern. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

"It's fine. It's just my wrist. The stitches are out now but it's still sensitive. A static shock from the blanket got me right on the scar" the blonde replied as she looked at her scar.

"Let me see it" the doctor demanded.

"It looks good. It's healing nicely. I'm glad you wore that brace. No tearing or pulling. You'll have a scar but it'll be a nice one" she said as she examined Gail's forearm. "Good thing you had a great doctor to patch you back up" the brunette said with a smile. Gail rolled her eyes.

"How did you know I like to game?" Gail asked as both women relaxed in the rubble of their once-fort.

"When you convinced me that transporting a bed on top of a small car with only my two hands and your wounded limb to tether it to the roof was an acceptable and law-abiding activity, I noticed your X-box in the back seat. I know you don't have a TV so I figured you'd be missing it" she replied with a shrug.

"You bought an X-Box for our date?"

"No. There is a gaming store in the mall that rents units. I didn't want to invest in one of these puppies just yet" Holly told Gail with a wink.

"And the fort part?"

"I got that idea from the internet" Holly admitted. "I thought it sounded fun."

"You looked up date ideas on the internet?" Gail asked with a smile.

"Yes. And before you tease me for being a nerd, I wanted to get this right. I am not familiar with Timmins like I am with Vancouver so I wasn't sure what to do" the brunette replied.

"I'm not going to make fun of you. I was actually researching for this date, too" the officer said, feeling relief that she wasn't the only one that felt that this date was important.

"What were you looking up?" the doctor asked with a curious glint in her eye.

Gail blushed. She hadn't really thought about her admission before it came out of her mouth. Should she lie? Holly already knew that Gail had never dated a woman, let alone slept with one. Hell, Holly knew that she was the only woman Gail had even kissed. Gail squirmed while she thought of how to respond.

"Were you researching how to have sex with a woman?" Holly teased.

Gail's face changed from a slight pink, to a deep crimson. Her pale skin was no match for the embarrassment she felt at being caught. Holly started giggling.

Gail wanted to die. She was in middle of wishing that the Earth would just swallow her whole when she felt a pair of soft lips against her own pursed lips. She opened her scrunched eyes to see the doctor with a kind smile on her face.

"That is the one of the sweetest things anyone has done for me" Holly said in a quiet voice.

"You don't think it's creepy?" Gail asked.

"A girl that I am dating wants to make sure that she knows how to please me? That's not creepy, it's actually kind of hot" the doctor told her. "But I'll be honest when I say that I don't think I'm ready for that step yet. I want to, and I'm excited to, but not yet. Is that okay?"

Gail nodded. She had never been turned down for sex, and even though she didn't actually offer, she did feel slightly relieved. "I don't think I'm ready for that either. I'm… I'm a little apprehensive" she admitted.

"Because this is new to you?" the doctor asked. Gail nodded again.

"Okay. There is no rush. I like you, and I think you like me, so can we agree to keep moving slow and keep talking about it?"

Gail smiled. "That sounds good to me"

Holly leaned in and kissed the blonde gently.

"What exactly were you looking at?" Holly queried with a mischievous grin.

"I guess you'll have to find out when the time comes" Gail replied as she wriggled her eyebrows. Both women giggled.

Holly reached for her controller. "Okay, teach me how to play this game again. I'll get the hang of it if it kills me" she said with a determined look on her face.

**A/N This will eventually move to an 'M' rating in the next few chapters. I want this to be a slow burn but stick with it, saucy parts are in the works! I'll label the chapter Smutty McSmutterson so you know as soon as it's posted what's in store **


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you to those that are reading this! Please feel free to review; I read and appreciate every one!

My tumblr is baileychabot

Enjoy!

**Chapter 10**

Things with Holly fell into a lightness and ease that surprised both women. Holly was surprised that Gail was so comfortable with her changing sexual identity while Gail was surprised at the general interest she had at spending time with Holly.

"I don't hate you" she blurted out one night while they were snuggled on the couch watching a movie.

"Ummm, thanks?" Holly replied with a grin.

"No, I mean that usually by this stage of a relationship I'm already getting sick of the other person but I still get butterflies every time I see you. I still like spending time with you and that's never happened to me before" Gail explained.

"You get tired of someone after three weeks of dating?" Holly asked. Usually Gail didn't like questions, particularly when they were in regards to her personal life, and especially when they were about her emotions. Holly was different. She felt no judgment in her queries, knew there was no interest in digging up dirt, just genuine curiosity and the want to know and understand Gail. It was the reason the blonde always answered honestly any question Holly posed and rarely laced her responses with sarcasm..

"Most of the time. Actually, every time. Except this time" she made sure the brunette understood she still liked her.

"You'll tell me if you start to not like me, right? If you need time away from me or if you're feeling smothered, you'll ask for space, won't you?" Gail could feel the vulnerability from the doctor that was so obviously caused by Gail's initial statement.

"Holly, I really like you. I want to spend time with you. You will be the first to know if I need some space and I hope that you feel you can tell me that you need some alone time too. Or time with friends, or other doctors, or your weird uncle in North Bay."

Holly laughed. "He isn't _that_ weird. He's more… eccentric?"

"He made you pick hundreds of pounds of apples. What does one man do with an entire garage full of apples? They rot, Holly. Apples rot" the officer replied matter-of-factly.

"He makes a lot of apples sauce and freezes it. And he donates it to the old folks home too" the doctor replied.

"See? That's weird!"

"That he helps people?"

"No, that he wastes his time picking the apples and then making apple sauce. Apple sauce is cheap, probably cheaper than he can make it. If he wanted to do something nice for old people he should go visit them. They get lonely" Gail said in a melancholy voice.

"He does that too" Holly told her.

"Oh. Then he's not weird."

Holly was getting used to the bluntness of Gail. She never wasted words and was always so stunningly simple, she could boil complex situations and emotions into single sentences. Holly usually waxed poetic about a single topic while Gail could summarize every nuance in fifteen words or less. It was a prodigious gift and it amazed Holly every time she witnessed it. She was looking at Gail adoringly when the blonde caught her.

"What?" she asked. "Why are you looking at me like that, _Lunchbox_?" she said with a smirk as she wriggled her eyebrows.

"I'm glad that the name 'Lunchbox' has stuck" Holly said as she rolled her eyes.

"I like it" Gail stated simply.

Holly smiled but didn't respond. She just turned her head to watch the TV but wasn't actually paying attention to the movie. Gail laughed at what was happening on screen. When Holly didn't even react to the comedic genius that was Abbott and Costello the blonde turned to look at the woman curled up next to her. Holly was watching the screen but her eyes were glazed over with the distant look of someone lost deep in a train of thought.

"If you really don't like 'Lunchbox', I'll be okay with just calling you 'Nerd'" Gail told her, thinking she was upset over her new nickname.

"Huh?" was all Holly replied.

"Where were you just now?" Gail asked her, Holly having made it obvious that whatever was on her mind had nothing to do with the last few minutes of conversation.

Holly turned her body so she was facing Gail. The blonde, sensing the seriousness of what was about to come out of Holly's mouth, mirrored the movement so the two women were sitting cross-legged, with their knees touching. Holly reached out to grab Gail's hands in her own, interlacing their fingers.

"We talk, right? I mean, we tell each other stuff, right?" Holly said to Gail as she looked at their hands.

"Of course" the officer replied.

"Gail… Does it bother you that you are now dating a woman?" Holly voiced timidly.

"No" was the simple answer the brunette received. She wanted to question it but the sincerity in Gail's expression made Holly understand that was being truthful. Instead, she let Gail continue.

"You know, it… surprised me at first. I actually told Chris that I thought I might be a lesbian. But when I actually started to think about it I realized that I've never actually thought of myself as 'straight'. I've actually never really thought about my sexual orientation in any sort of defined way until now. I've always dated men because I've always been pursued by men. It's always been easiest and, honestly, no woman has ever asked me out" the blonde told her with a shrug.

"But it doesn't bother me that you're a woman. I've never felt with anyone else the way I feel about you. Maybe that makes me a lesbian? And if it does, then I'm okay with that." Gail made sure she was looking into Holly's eyes when she said the last part so she could convey how serious she was about the doctor.

"Wow" Holly started. "I'm impressed that you're so okay with this. I freaked out when I figured out I was a lesbian. I'm not saying that you are, but I've never seen anyone act so calmly when they've recognized that they may have a less than traditional sexual orientation" the doctor said.

"It was a non-issue growing up. I have to say that of all the things that were a part of my twisted childhood, homophobia wasn't one of them. My mother told me when I was a kid that she didn't care who I dated so long as they didn't drag down the 'Peck' name. Both of my parents have bisexual and gay friends and colleagues" Gail said as Holly's eyes widened in surprise knowing that both of her parents belonged to the 'boys club' that was policing. "Besides, it's 2014. I know not everyone is super cool with same-sex relationships but, for God's sake, it's been legal in this country since 2003!" Gail continued emphatically.

Holly nodded along silently. She felt the weight of her worries melting off her shoulders listening to Gail tell her that being with her wasn't causing any existential crises. She smiled as she listened to the blonde knowing that whatever was going to come out of her mouth was only going to make the doctor feel even better.

"I actually asked my mom once if it would bother her if I was a lesbian" Gail said with a laugh. "I was trying to get a rise out of her but she told me point blank that who I fell in love with wasn't anybody's business but my own. She then added the proviso that the person I marry can't be a firefighter" Gail laughed even harder.

"Was she joking?" Holly asked, feeling much better.

"She was dead serious!" Gail could barely breathe through the fits of laughter.

XXXXXXXXXX

A week later Chris invited Gail to a barbeque he was hosting. He told her it was casual so that if she wanted to bring a friend, she was welcome to.

"Bring a friend Diaz?" she said with an annoyed voice. "I don't have any friends in this town" she continued with a grumble.

"What about that doctor you talk to all the time? The one who put your stitches in? She's your friend, isn't she?" he replied casually. Gail could tell he was hinting at something.

"Just say what you actually mean Chris" she grumped. Mornings were never enjoyable for her, especially when they involved 6AM start times. Today she'd woken up late so she'd had to make do with the crappy coffee in the break room instead of a nice cup from the café around the corner.

"I'm just saying that if you bring her and she's… more than your friend, everyone there will be cool with it. It's easiest to start with people you know are on your side, is all I'm saying" he told her nonchalantly.

"If you want to come by yourself, that's cool too. There will be a lot of people for you to meet and make friends with" he told her as he looked at the scowl on her face. "Or not. Nobody is forcing you to socialize, but there will be beer" he said with a grin.

Gail didn't reply; she just stared at him with a neutral expression, which seemed worse than it was. Gail was aware of her severe resting-bitch-face. She never felt the need to defend it and was generally pleased with the effect it had on people, but today she was wasn't using it to her advantage. She was genuinely lost in thought wondering how he knew that Holly was the one she was talking about the other night at the Penny. The last thing she wanted to be on top of a rookie was a lovesick rookie. She had tried to keep her texting with Holly to a minimum at work knowing her face gave her away every time she heard the sound of metal buckles snapping shut that was the specialized ringtone she'd added for her girlfriend. She was berating herself for being so conspicuous with her feelings when Chris slid a note along her desk.

"Here is the address. Come by on Saturday any time after 4" he told her. "We'd love to meet Holly, in any capacity you want to introduce her as. No pressure."

Gail picked up the note and looked at the address. She just nodded at him, unsure of her own feelings and not quite knowing what to say.

Gail: _We've been invited to a BBQ this weekend at Chris' place. Interested?_

Nerd: _Very. I'm surprised you told Chris about us. I thought you wanted to keep work and home separate?_

Gail: _I _didn't _tell him! He has super sleuth powers! That, and I think I get all smiley every time I hear your ringtone so that might give it away._

Nerd:_ You're so adorable!_

Gail: _Am not! I am Queen of Dragon Slayer, the most badass cop/girlfriend around._

Nerd: _Girlfriend?_

Gail: _Is that okay?_

Nerd: _Very okay :)_

Gail: _Good. Do you think everyone can tell I'm dating and happy?_

Nerd: _Probably. You've been super mushy lately._

Gail: _You're not helping! And I wasn't crying when we were watching Free Willy, I had an eyelash in my eye._

Nerd: _Hahaha Sure thing, Officer. I don't think it's a problem. I think they are probably happy for you. _

Gail: _Fine. I'm not happy about the 'mushy' comment, by the way._

Nerd: _I'll make it up to you by making you dinner tonight._

Gail: _I'll hold you to that._

Nerd: _Can't wait, my adorably mushy girlfriend._

XXXXXXXXXX

Saturday rolled around and Gail felt surprisingly calm. She generally didn't like meeting new people, particularly when she'd just rather spend her and Holly's only mutual day off that week just the two of them. Not only was she relaxed, but the feeling of tranquility was compounded by a deep seated excitement. She didn't know why but she couldn't wait for people to meet Holly. Her thoughts had been flitting all week to images of her holding on to the doctor's hand while people were regaled with stories of the doctor's skill and talent. She imagined feeling proud when she introduced people to the woman next to her as her girlfriend, smiling as everyone laughed at one of Holly's jokes. It was a new experience for her and she found that she was actually looking forward to it.

Holly, it was obvious, was thinking differently. They spent their Saturday morning at the grocery store picking up food for the week. Gail was filling their cart full of cheese puffs when she looked up at her girlfriend. Her hands were clinging to the handle of the shopping cart, her knuckles turning white. She didn't even admonish Gail when she put her fifth bag of cheese puffs on top of the pile.

"Holly?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes?" she responded, having returned to Earth from wherever she was in space.

"Is everything okay? You seem out of it."

Holly contemplated the piles of junk food overtaking their shopping as she wrung her hands around the cart handle. Gail had learned in their few shorts weeks that wringing hands meant Holly was feeling anxious. She moved to the brunette to place a comforting hand on her arm and waited patiently for cocoa eyes to meet her own.

Holly took a settling breath and exhaled loudly. "What if your friends don't like me?" she asked.

Gail was taken aback. She knew Holly had insecurities like anyone but she was surprised at how deep the river of her vulnerability ran. She thought the woman's confidence came from her ability to perceive herself as Gail did: kind, caring, thoughtful, considerate, and incredibly sexy. Maybe Holly didn't think the last one about herself, but Gail sure as hell did.

"One, they're going to love you. Two, if they don't they're idiots. Three, they aren't my friends so I don't care what they think of you. Four, I like you enough for an entire kingdom of people. Five, we don't have to go if you're not comfortable meeting these people. And six, there will be free beer so we can go, take twelve beer then go home and drink them ourselves to spite them" Gail told her with a reassuring smile on her face.

Holly laughed at this. Gail could tell the brunette was still feeling doubtful but she had at least managed to get Holly to stop trying to convert the plastic bar on the shopping cart into pieces on the floor.

"Okay?" the blonde said with a smile.

"Okay" Holly nodded. "What should we bring? I was thinking we could bake an apple pie since I still have a crazy amount of apples in my freezer. Or an apple cobbler. What do you think?" she asked Gail as she started pushing the cart down the aisle.

"Why are we bringing anything?" Gail asked.

"Because it's the polite thing to do when someone invites you to their home, especially if they're offering free liquor"

"I'm bringing my company. That's a gift that can't be bought so we're covered. And he isn't offering free liquor, he said beer" the officer reminded her girlfriend. "There is a big difference. If he said free tequila, I would think an apple dessert would be appropriate but free beer gets nothing."

Holly smiled at her girlfriend. "Well I am going to bring an apple pie, so let's go get some ice cream" she told the blonde as she led her to the dairy section.

XXXXXXXXXX

After spending the afternoon peeling, cutting, measuring, pouring, stirring, kneading, and rolling, Gail was ready to eat a big slice of the pie she had helped the brunette bake. Or rather, the pie that she sat and watched Holly bake as she slowly and not so subtly ate a large portion of the filling. Still, she was tired from watching her girlfriend do all that hard work and desperately wanted a slice.

"MMMMmmmmm. That smells SO good, Lunchbox" she exclaimed as the mitted brunette pulled her homemade from scratch pie from the oven. She set it on the counter to cool down and turned to put her over mitts away when Gail moved in with her spoon. A swift arm quickly batted the blonde away.

"Ow!" Gail cried out as she turned to take in the stern face of the woman standing in front of her. Holly had her hands on her hips and Gail could tell she wasn't impressed.

"One, that pie just came out of a 450°F oven and you want to stick a spoon in it? You're going to burn your mouth! Second, that pie is not for you. You can have a piece tonight. And just so you know, I was going to make you your own pie but you ate all the filling" she chastised.

Gail immediately jutted out her bottom lip and widened her eyes. She had perfected her pout long ago when she learned that her father couldn't say no to. She had hoped that her big baby blues and innocent looking expression would have the same effect on the doctor.

Holly just rolled her eyes at her and pressed her mouth to the blonde's. She could feel Gail smile into the kiss and new that she had somehow just lost whatever competition they had just been having. She felt the smile fall from Gail's face she Holly deepened the kiss. She parted the blonde's lips with her tongue and started exploring the inside of her mouth. Gail placed her hand on the back of the brunette's neck to pull her in even closer. Holly wrapped her hands under the officer's bottom and picked her up, setting her on the counter. The blonde responded by wrapping her legs around her girlfriends's waist. Holly let out a moan as she felt Gail press herself into her pelvis.

"Gail" Holly said as her girlfriend groaned due to the loss of lip to lip contact. "Gail, we have to get ready or we're going to be late" she said as she pressed her forehead to the blonde's.

"So? Then we'll be late" Gail replied as she tried to pull the brunette in for another kiss.

"Gail, I really want to continue this but I'm starting to lose control of myself and I don't want to pressure you into doing something you're not ready for." Holly's caring tone was obvious. Gail smiled at her before summoning up her courage.

"I'm ready" she said to the brunette, "I want us to move forward in our relationship. I'm ready for this" she told Holly as she started tracing her fingertips along the hem of the doctor's shirt. She could feel the wake of goosebumps she was leaving as she charted the flesh of Holly's abdomen.

Holly ran her tongue across her top lip and exhaled slowly. Gail could feel the heat on her lips. She parted them so she could feel Holly's warmth inside her mouth. She gently placed her teeth on Holly's bottom lip, gingerly pressing down and pulling her in close. When she felt Holly press her body against hers again she softly licked and sucked on the bite marks she left. Holly moaned as Gail worshiped her lip. She knew if she didn't stop this soon, she'd succumb to the temptress with her legs wrapped around her torso.

"Oh my God, Gail. This is taking every ounce of control for me to ask you to stop, but I really want to talk about this before we do… _it_" Holly managed.

"_It_? Aren't you a doctor, Nerd?" Gail responded as she continued her devotion.

"I currently have a beautiful woman doing amazing things to me. My IQ is hovering somewhere between a fencepost and an eggplant" Holly stuttered. She managed to get enough neurons to fire at the same time and pushed herself away from the blonde.

"Believe me when I say that I want this, but I want to talk about this first. Let's get ready, go to the BBQ, then we can come home and have a conversation. I want to do this right" Holly told the blonde as she stroked Gail's cheek. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'd like that" Gail responded. "But I don't want to stay at the BBQ too long, I'd like to move through the conversation and so we can get to the _it_ quickly."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Gail! I'm glad you guys made it!" Chris called out when he saw the two women come through the backyard gate. "We have beer in the cooler, burgers and hotdogs on the BBQ, and marshmallows to roast on the fire. And who is this lovely creature?" he asked with his usual cheerful smile.

"Chris, this is my girlfriend Holly Stewart. Holly, this is my partner, Chris Diaz" Gail said by way of introduction.

"It's lovely to meet you Chris. Gail has told me so much about you" she said as she shook the man's hand.

"You as well. Although Gail would never admit to talking about you as much as she does" Chris quipped. Holly liked him instantly. Gail scowled at him for his last comment even though it was true.

"Oh, and you brought pie! Don't tell Dennis because he thinks I need to lose a pound or two. He thinks I need to be in top shape for work or else I might hurt myself" he said in a hushed tone so his husband wouldn't hear.

"It's homemade if that makes a difference at all" Holly said with a laugh as she handed the dessert over to him.

"You're going to be the death of me!" he groaned as he set it down on the serving table.

The evening was going smoothly; both women were enjoying themselves. Gail was particularly pleased with the events of the night. She didn't have to talk much to anyone, which is how she preferred things, and she got to enjoy her new favourite pastime: watching Holly talk about her work. Holly was an exuberant and enthusiastic person most of the time, but when she spoke about her profession it was obvious that it wasn't just a job for the woman, it was a passion. Her eyes sparkled and she smiled so big it was as though her entire face lit up. Gail just smiled as her girlfriend spoke.

She could listen to the brunette speak forever, but there were other conversations she'd rather be having with her at the moment. She'd had enough beer that she could be comfortable having _the _conversation with Holly, but not so many that she wouldn't be in the right state of mind for the seriousness of it. But first she knew that she'd have to introduce Holly to Chris' husband Dennis before they left knowing Holly thought etiquette was important.

The hosts were kept busy making sure drinks were full, napkins were available, and food was ready, which was why it wasn't until a few hours later that Gail had the opportunity to introduce Holly to Dennis. They exchanged pleasantries and were chatting when Holly excused herself to use the restroom.

"She's great Gail. I'm glad you found her" Dennis told the blonde as they watched Holly move through the sliding glass door into the house.

"Thanks. I think so too" Gail smiled at him.

"How long have you been dating her?"

"A little over a month" she replied, the grin only growing on her face.

"You've got it bad, I can tell" he said as he patted her on the back. The officer just rolled her eyes at him, but he didn't notice.

"And I bet the sex is so much better with someone who doesn't need a roadmap, right?" He looked at the blonde with a wink and grin. Gail just stared at him. She knew she was turning a deep shade of red, her complexion having been her nemesis her entire life. She also knew Dennis could see her blush even in the fading light because the expression on his face changed from one of knowing to one of curiosity.

"Have you not gotten that far yet, Officer?" he teased her.

The annoyance at the invasion of privacy was overtaking the embarrassment she was feeling. She looked him dead in the eye and wiped any expression off her face. "I'm saving myself until marriage" she said simply. The revelation had the desired effect; Dennis was dumbstruck, not knowing how to respond.

She saw Holly coming back toward her then and simply headed in the brunette's direction. "Ready to go?" she asked in a chipper voice, not giving any indication of the conversation she'd just been having with Dennis.

"You bet" she said with her half-smile as she reached for Gail's hand. Gail pulled Holly into herself as she led them to her car.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So" Gail said as they entered Holly's apartment and sat comfortably on the couch.

"So" the brunette mimicked as she sat next to her girlfriend.

"I, umm, I've never had a conversation about the sex I was about to have so I'm not really sure how these things go" the officer said.

Holly chuckled. "Well, I just want to make sure you're ready for this, that you're comfortable with sex with a woman. If you have any questions or anything, we can talk about them now." Gail nodded.

"I am ready. I know that for sure. I can't promise that I'll be any good at this, but as you already know, I did do my homework so hopefully it won't be too bad for you" Gail said, feeling self-conscious openly admitting she might not be great at something.

"Gail," the brunette lifted the blonde's chin so she could meet her eyes, "sex is going to be good for both of us because we are honest with each other. I'll point you in the right direction if you need it, and I expect you to do the same. We'll work on it, like we do with our relationship, and eventually sex will be so good you'll look back and wonder how you thought it might not be."

Gail smiled at Holly's pep talk. "Okay" she said as she looked into the caring expression of the woman across from her.

"Good" the doctor smiled as she reached for her girlfriend's hand. "Any questions?" she asked.

"Just one: are we going to scissor?" Gail wondered with a quizzical expression.

"Only if you want to" Holly laughed.


	11. Chapter 11

This chapter is also titled Smutty McDirty. You are warned.

Thank you to those that are reading this! Please feel free to review; I read and appreciate every one!

My tumblr is baileychabot

Enjoy!

**Chapter 11**

The light on her face made her clench her eyes tight. She usually made sure to close the blinds before she went to sleep because she hated being woken up by the sun. It was so bright it was almost as though it was taunting her to try and sleep. Gail always felt like the morning sun was like a cat that sat on your head and scratched your face until you got up to feed it. She was not a big fan of cats.

She reached her arm up to block out the unwanted intrusion, reaching for her blackout blinds. Instead, her fingers just fumbled on warm glass. She was getting more and more annoyed when her hand found purchase on a lovely lace material that was hanging the length of the window. _Funny _she thought _I don't have lace curtains_. She opened up her eyes to examine the material. They were indeed white lace curtains, hanging behind a beautiful mahogany headboard. _Headboard? _Gail wondered to herself.

She scanned the room. It was nice. A dresser that matched the elegance and style of the bedframe, black and white portraits on the wall of what appeared to be candid family photos of people she'd never seen before, and a quirky looking armchair in the corner, with worn armrests and lightly frayed material holding in the stuffing.

Despite the lack of recognition, Gail didn't feel concerned. In fact, she felt content, sated even. She could feel a small smile on her lips and she wasn't quite sure why. She could still feel the haze of sleep fogging her brain, but she knew for sure that she was happy. She decided to bask in the emotion she rarely felt first thing in the morning. She lied back and stretched under the warm duvet. She could feel silk sheets caressing her body. Her naked body. She didn't usually sleep naked, unless she'd been having…

She turned her head to the other side of the bed. Holly. Her Holly. She smiled even brighter at the brunette whose locks were wildly strewn about her face. Her face that was calm with the peace of sleep, mouth slightly agape, breathing heavily. She was snoring, really, but Gail was enamored by it.

The blonde reached out to touch the luscious hair that was Holly's. The contact brought about memories of the night they had shared. Flashbacks of her hands running through the full mane of Holly's head, how she tugged on it during moments of ecstasy, and the soft smell of coconut as Holly's hair enclosed them during moments of tenderness. She loved that hair.

She was gently playing with a few strands when she noticed the only part of her girlfriend that she liked more than her hair: her eyes. Gail could bathe in the warmness of Holly's eyes. Gail was pulled back to the moment by the sound of the doctor's voice.

"Good morning" Holly croaked her voice thick with sleep.

"Mornin'" Gail smiled back.

"Did you sleep okay?" she asked as she reached out to push the hair from the blonde's eyes. Gail just moaned as she moved her head so that the soft palm of Holly's hand was grazing her cheek. She moaned again when she felt the pads of fingertips stroke her closed eyelids.

"I did, but I was tired. You wore me out pretty good last night" Gail said playfully.

"Are you complaining, Officer? Because I can refrain from future-"

"No! No, no!" the blonde interrupted, "no complaints, just making an observation". She raised her hands in mock surrender.

Holly smiled brightly as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Gail whimpered at the loss of touch and instinctively nuzzled into the crook of the doctor's neck. She relaxed as she felt the surprisingly strong arms of the brunette wrap around her in a protective embrace before both women drifted back to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

Gail felt different. She was happy. It wasn't as though the officer had never experienced the emotion before, but she had certainly never experienced a happiness that was this intense or lasted this long in her adult life. It was as though gravity had somehow been diluted for the blonde. Her steps were lighter; she was almost bouncing. She felt a lightness in her chest, as though her heart was doing a happy dance, and she just couldn't keep the corners of her mouth from turning up.

She knew everyone around her had noticed her unusually upbeat mood. The other officers were quite apprehensive of her sudden change in demeanor as though this was all part of some elaborate ruse. Gail was aware that she wasn't the friendliest person but she didn't understand why most people, particularly fellow gun carrying officers, were so weary of her. She didn't really care. She had Holly and Holly had her. That's what mattered to Gail.

She had to be especially careful not to let her mind wander to the time she spent with her girlfriend in bed. Hours spent with limbs tangled, hands brushing away hair, fingers and tongues exploring and discovering. Because when she those images flashed in front of her eyes, she couldn't help the reaction it created in her body; the change in blood flow, the increased heart rate, the dilated pupils- all relatively innocuous changes. It was the flushing of her skin, as always, that gave her away. She didn't want anyone asking why she was blushing, knowing it would only make her embarrassed and she'd turn even redder. So she tried hard all day not to recall the compromising positions she had found herself in only 36 hours ago.

Once she got home, however, that was an entirely different scenario. She had a quick shower, a microwave dinner, and snuggled into her comforter. She told herself it was because she was tired and had had a tough shift, which was true, but if she was being truthful she just wanted to lie in bed and remember the weekend she'd just had.

Holly had been right: the sex that they had had was good. Gail had never had an intimate encounter where both partners were so invested in making sure it was enjoyable for the other. The blonde was also surprised at how natural the experience had been. She had been concerned that she might get stage fright or be unsure of herself, but like their relationship, she felt no pressure which made sex fun and easy.

Most importantly, Gail realized that she trusted the brunette implicitly. She trusted Holly with her body, which made for good sex. She usually took charge but with the brunette she was comfortable being more submissive. From her previous research she knew that meant she was possibly a 'bottom', but she figured most likely that she was a 'switch'. She felt proud that she knew this information.

For the first time, she also realized, she trusted another person with the emotions that went with sex. She didn't feel the need to shy away from the intimate moments of sex like she had always done in the past. It was okay that Holly looked into her eyes while she was making love to her; Gail didn't feel the overwhelming compulsion to clamp her own eyes closed. When Holly directed her, she wasn't offended, she was actually grateful. She wanted her girlfriend to enjoy having sex with her and she didn't feel self-conscious or inadequate when the brunette asked her to move a little to the right or use a circular motion instead of the straight back and forth Gail had employed. She even found it arousing when Holly reached down with her own hand at first to show Gail how she liked to be touched, putting her fingers on top of the blonde's to demonstrate.

And they could talk about sex, during and after. Gail was apprehensive about "getting all up in another woman's bits" as Holly put it, to which the officer responded with laughter. Dropping her bravado, the blonde admitted that she wasn't entirely sure what to do. Gail had about three seconds to feel awkward about her admission before she looked into the sultry eyes of her girlfriend who just told her she'd show her how it was done first. She would be the teacher and Gail would be her pupil. She finished with a smirk and an "I hope you'll be ready for the final exam" before dipping between Gail's legs.

Gail had finally experienced sex that was not only about her own physical gratification, but sex that was fun, personal, and another way to strengthen the bond she was forging with the other woman. She was excited about sex with Holly, and not just as a means to an end, a way to scratch an itch, but because it was exhilarating.

The only downside to sex with Holly was that she wasn't able to make her girlfriend have an orgasm. The brunette had brought Gail over the edge every time she touched her but Gail had had no such luck. The brunette assured her that she had enjoyed herself.

"Gail, did I look like I wasn't having a good time?" she asked her.

"Well, you seemed like you were having fun, but you didn't have as much fun as I had. Five times." Gail couldn't help the grin as she thought back to each glorious time she came. "And I want you to have as much fun as I did."

"Did you have an orgasm when you lost your virginity?" the brunette responded.

Gail scoffed. "Holly, losing my virginity was about as enjoyable and intimate as a visit to the gynecologist."

"Right. And you just lost your virginity again, in a way. It was your first time with a woman. I promise you" she said as she stroked Gail's hair, "if going to the gynecologist was as half as enjoyable as my first time with you, women would be lining up around the block for appointments".

The blonde looked at Holly hopefully. "Really?" she said.

"Absolutely. It was the best first time I've ever had and it's only going to get better. Besides, it took me a lot of practice for me to perfect my… technique" she gave her girlfriend her patented half smile.

"It's a good thing I'm a fast learner then, doctor" the blonde said as she pulled the brunette in for a kiss.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning Gail woke up in her own bed, without Holly. She had fallen asleep alone but her pre-slumber thoughts were of nothing but the taller woman. She knew from the way her panties were clinging to her she'd been dreaming about Holly too, but she still felt her heart sink a little when she emerged from her sweet dreams without her girlfriend next to her. The doctor was on a string of night shifts that had begun last night. Gail sighed and rolled over. She couldn't believe how much she missed Holly, a thought that made her face pucker like she'd just eaten an entire lemon. Gail Peck did not _miss_ people. Yet here she found herself, alone in bed, longing for the brunette.

Feeling sorry for herself, she decided she was going to sleep until she absolutely had to get up for her afternoon shift. She figured if she and Holly were asleep at the same time it was the next best substitute for actually being asleep in the same bed. Maybe their subconscious minds would find each other in sleep. She groaned at the ridiculousness of the thought and cringed. She was becoming an ooey-gooey person. It was simultaneously the worst and the best, although she'd never admit to the last part, not even with a gun to her head.

Before she had a chance to return to slumber, she heard a soft knocking on the door. Knowing only one person who would have the testicular fortitude to show up unannounced at this early hour would be her girlfriend, Gail grinned and bounded for the door.

She was not disappointed.

She opened up the door to the woman who'd been occupying her thought constantly since they parted ways. The brunette looked tired; she had bags under her eyes and her hair was unkempt, pulled back in a messy ponytail. Gail had never thought any human being looked more beautiful. She beamed at the doctor.

"Hi" Holly said as she smiled back. "I'm sorry it's so early, I know you don't have to work until the afternoon but I kind of, well, I was missing you and I wanted to just see you."

"Hi" was all Gail said as she reached for the hand of her still scrub clad girlfriend and pulled her into the apartment. She led the way to her bedroom and started to pull Holly into bed behind.

"Wait" the brunette as she stopped in her tracks just shy of the warm cocoon that is Gail's bed. "My scrubs are icky and germy and I don't want to get in bed with them" she continued with a scrunched face.

The blonde took in the entire form of the brunette for the first time. She was surprised as she felt a spike in her blood pressure and a redirection of blood to her groin looking at Holly in her full doctor's uniform: scrubs, white lab coat, and stethoscope. Turns out sexy doctors with glasses and scrubs were her thing. Who knew?

Gail watched as the doctor unwrapped the stethoscope from around her neck and laid it on the nightstand. She then shrugged out of her lab coat that had her name monogrammed above the breast pocket, folded it up, and placed it gently on the floor.

"Do you always wear your stethoscope and name badge home, Doctor?" the officer asked playfully.

Holly stopped what she's doing and looked at the items Gail had just named. "I just left the hospital after the oncoming physician came on without stopping at my locker. I wanted to see you" she said with a lascivious smile, playing along with Gail.

The blonde stood up in her sweat pants and tank top and closed the space between her and the brunette. She had intended to simply crawl into bed and snuggle before falling back asleep, but now that she was looking at Holly in her doctor's outfit, she knew she couldn't resist. Besides, it was healthy to have an orgasm; it helped you sleep.

They were standing so their faces were only an inch apart. Gail could feel the electricity in the small amount of space between them. She slowly reached out to touch the exposed skin on the doctor's arm, afraid that the jolt of energy that would rush between them when they actually made contact. When her fingertips did finally meet soft skin, she felt the shock immediately. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to touching this woman.

Her fingertips slowly ran from the bottom of the scrub sleeve along the toned muscles that were contained under silky smooth skin. She was used to the feeling of strong muscles in her partners but the juxtaposition with the femininity of the delicate skin made Gail hyperaware of the fact that Holly was unlike any of her past relationships.

She placed her free hand on Holly's hip and slipped it just inside the hem of the shirt. She deliberately traced her nails along the sensitive skin along her abdomen, causing the doctor to tense slightly. Holly parted her lips to inhale sharply but Gail's proximity meant that she breathed only the blonde's air. Gail could feel Holly literally sucking the air from her lungs and it was intoxicating.

Gail quickly peeled off Holly's shirt, tossing it to the side while she ravenously captured the brunette's lips in her own. It was as though a switch had been hit in the blonde and she couldn't get enough of her girlfriend. The kisses were not delicate; they were rough and needy and spoke of wanton desire.

Holly responded in kind. She ripped the tank top off the blonde, only parting lips to let the fabric pass through them. The doctor's arousal was intensified when hard nipples made their appearance; the blonde never wore a bra to sleep. She wanted so desperately to continue kissing Gail but the need to taste the blonde's erect nipples overpowered her. Holly grabbed the officer's ass, picked her up, and dropped her on the bed giving her full access to Gail's chest.

Holly wasn't gentle. She sucked forcefully on the blonde's sensitive nipples, but it was just what Gail needed. It was almost too much, but then Holly would trace her tongue before biting down hard. It caused the blonde to cry out. The combination of ecstasy and pain Holly was causing her was starting to be unbearable. Gail needed there to be less clothes and more skin. Now.

She removed Holly's bra with near lightning speed before she pushed the brunette's scrub pants and panties down past her thighs. She then quickly removed her own offending attire before she reached out to pull her girlfriend back on top of her. Holly was out of Gail's reach having stepped back to remove her pants the rest of the way. The doctor stood up when she was stark naked and looked over her girlfriend. Gail was lying on her back, stunning sapphire eyes watching intently. Her platinum blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, ending where her breasts began. At the apex of the swells on her chest were pink nipples that were begging Holly to pay them attention. The brunette's gaze drifted lower still, past a taught abdomen. Holly could see Gail's aorta working overtime as the supple skin shuttered with every pump of the blonde's heart.

Gail's arousal was becoming unbearable. She was watching Holly take in her naked form and the intimate act was driving Gail insane. She couldn't believe that the brunette could create such a reaction in her body without even touching her. She spread her legs, welcoming her girlfriend's gaze, if for no other reason than to show the brunette how crazy she was making her.

Holly watched Gail part her legs, revealing her swollen lips. If the flushed and inflamed skin wasn't enough of a giveaway, the blonde's wetness was glinting in the morning light. Holly moaned knowing it was all for her. She couldn't wait any longer.

Holly climbed on top of Gail and immediately inserted two fingers into the blonde. She pressed her mouth against the blonde's with gusto and used the thrusting motion of her hips to penetrate her girlfriend deeper. The officer groaned at the sudden sensations; the fullness she felt with Holly's agile fingers inside her, the tickle of the brunette's hard nipples against her own as she plunged deeper, and pressure of her lips as she forcefully demanded more from Gail, the warmth of her ass as Gail grabbed it, encouraging the brunette to press harder.

It wasn't long before Gail knew she was getting close to her orgasm. She was starting to lose control of her fine motor skills, biting hard on Holly's lips, neck, and shoulders, and clawing at her back. But she was determined to make sure the brunette enjoyed herself just as much as she did. Without warning she pushed the doctor off of her and flipped herself over so she was on all fours. She looked over her shoulder with the same look she had in her eyes when she had spread her legs for Holly earlier: pure desire.

Holly understood immediately and reinserted her fingers inside Gail, still using her hips to propel her digits deeper. The doctor was watching her girlfriend, knowing the other woman's arousal always intensified her own. The blonde looked over her shoulder again, but this time with a devious smile. Holly watched as she inserted a single finger into her mouth all the way to the bottom knuckle, slowly pulling it out as she looked deep into the brunette's eyes. Holly watched as the hand then disappeared beneath the blonde.

Suddenly, a jolt shot through her body. The finger that was deep in Gail's mouth was now toying with Holly's clit, pressing harder when she thrust more deeply. The sensation was maddening. The brunette knew she wasn't going to last long, the look in Gail's eyes having caused a raging inferno between the brunette's legs.

It wasn't long before Holly could feel the walls of her vagina tremble with pleasure as spasms washed across her body and she called her girlfriend's name. She tried to continue thrusting for Gail's sake but the intensity of her orgasm was too much. She had to lean forward to support herself with her free hand to prevent herself from collapsing on top of the blonde.

Gail rolled over so she could pull her girlfriend into a deep kiss. Holly, still coming out of her pleasure induced haze, had a hard time responding. The blonde didn't mind, in fact she revelled in the fact that she had had this effect on the doctor. She smiled outwardly and high-fived herself internally for being able to rock Holly's world like this.

Gail let the doctor rest on top of her body. She stroked her chestnut hair and traced absentminded patterns along her back with her nails. It was a while before she heard Holly's breathing return to normal and could no longer feel aftershocks echoing across the brunette's muscles.

Holly pulled herself up and looked right into Gail's eyes. The blonde stopped her hands to pay full attention to what her girlfriend was about to say.

"That was fucking hot" she said without a hint of a smile.

"Yeah?" Gail replied.

"I'm just sorry I couldn't finish you" she said seriously. Gail just smiled.

"It's okay. I think today was your turn" and kissed the brunette on the lips.


	12. Chapter 12

Thank you to those that are reading this! Please feel free to review; I read and appreciate every one!

My apologies for the delay in updates: real life has been crazy this last month.

My tumblr is baileychabot

Enjoy!

**Chapter 12**

Six months had flown by since the two women had made it official and domesticity felt good. Gail hadn't moved in with Holly, but she did spend most of her time at the doctor's apartment. Chris asked them why Gail didn't just move in, considering she practically lived at Holly's, but both women agreed that they liked things the way they were. Even though the officer rarely stayed at her own place, it was nice for both of them to know that she could. It took pressure off their relationship and allowed them to move at their own pace.

Despite Gail keeping her own apartment, the blonde had not further invested in furniture or decorations. She had a bed, three plates, two bowls, four knives, four forks, and three spoons (she wasn't sure where the fourth one went), a few other random kitchen utensils, and a Bowflex. The Bowflex was the result of a lost drunken bet with Chris' husband Dennis that resulted in her buying the exercise machine, but she found it was useful as a drying rack for her clothes, if for nothing else.

Yet while Gail and Holly had settled into a comfortable routine, they were still learning new things about each other every day. Holly learned early on that Gail was allergic to tomatoes and hated free standing eggs: eggs in a dish were fine, so long as they weren't whole. Holly now knew that Gail only liked to be tickled a little bit, but if she took it too far, the blonde became irrationally angry. Her favourite thing about Gail, though, was how the tips of her ears turned red when Holly teased her for being adorable. It melted the doctor's heart and it made her want to squeeze her girlfriend like a cute little puppy.

Gail now knew that Holly doesn't like it when people touch her books without asking permission first, and gets very upset when people don't treat them well. The blonde loved that her girlfriend treasured books, going as far as calling them her babies. Gail thought it was a little too intense, but she appreciated the care the doctor took with them. Gail also found out the Holly doesn't like wearing clothes, which at first, Gail thought was a constant invitation for sex. Until one Friday night she was turned down.

"Babe, I'm sorry. I have a terrible stomach ache and I just want to watch some quiet TV before bed" Holly told her sincerely as she held her face in her hands.

This was confusing for the blonde: here her girlfriend was, naked as the day she was born, turning her down for sex. _Why was she naked then_? she thought to herself. She knew she was making a face when Holly gave her an inquisitive look when she caught Gail's eye.

"Then… why are you naked, Hol? If you don't want to have sex, why aren't you wearing clothes?" she asked.

"I don't like wearing clothes" she shrugged matter-of-factly.

"But, we always have sex when you're not wearing clothes" Gail responded with a pout.

"And I love having sex with you, whether or not I'm wearing clothes when we start, but tonight I don't feel well. Is that okay? Can we have extra sex tomorrow if I feel better?" the brunette asks.

"Of course" Gail sighed and snuggled up next her girlfriend. "Can we at least naked cuddle?"

Holly just laughed as she helped Gail out of her clothes.

What Holly found most interesting about Gail, and the character quirk that surprised her the most, were her contradictory traits. Gail loved the peach fuzz that covered Holly's body, yet hated the nearly invisible hair on her own body (she had once told Holly that the hair was creepy, the brunette still didn't understand what she meant by that). Gail loved when Holly cooked with peanut butter and would pretty much incorporate it into any dish (which had led to the unfortunate pasta sauce incident) yet hated eating actual peanut butter. The one that was most frustrating for the doctor, and the one that was the cause of their first argument, was Gail's messy nature paired with her selective germophobia.

Holly was a tidy woman, who kept her things neat. Things would get messy occasionally and she usually liked to spend an hour or two on Saturday morning giving the apartment a good wipe down: she'd vacuum, mop the floors, dust the furniture, and clean the bathroom. She wasn't a pig but she wasn't a cleaning Nazi either.

Gail, on the other hand, would leave her things where ever they fell. Holly could always tell her girlfriend's trajectory after work based on the trail of Gail's items that were littered along the way. It annoyed the organized doctor, mostly because she tripped on things when she came home from her night shifts. Stepping on a jacket zipper with bare feet was not a pleasant experience. But Gail was usually good at helping Holly with her chores, or at least not making them worse. She always put her dishes in the dishwasher, she never wore her boots in the house, and she always made a point of cleaning the bathroom herself.

At first the brunette thought it was just Gail trying to pull her weight until she realized it was something else: Gail had an issue with bathrooms. She thought they were icky, regardless of how clean they appeared to be or who owned the space. She had a particular aversion to public washrooms, which Holly could at least understand; it was Gail's issue with the brunette's own bathroom that confused the doctor.

She watched Gail scrub it constantly, even though all the surfaces in the space were sparkling. And if the fact that she disinfected the bathroom constantly wasn't a sign of her issues with "poop germs" as the blonde called them, it was her cleaning get-up that gave her away. Holly would have thought the outfit was hilarious, if it wasn't so insulting.

The first time she saw Gail don her riot gear (her term, not Holly's) she was unsure of what the blonde was trying to accomplish- she looked like she was cleaning up a crime scene.

"What are you doing?" Holly asked with a giggle the first time she saw the outfit.

"Cleaning the bathroom" came the deadpan reply. The doctor gave her a quizzical look, so she continued, "I don't like poop germs". That and a shrug was the only explanation Holly got.

"Okay. I understand the gloves, possibly the apron, and I guess I could forgive the goggles, but why do you need paper booties, an apron, or a shower cap?" Holly inquired.

"Poop germs are invisible. They get in the air when you flush the toilet and they land on everything around them. That's why I keep my toothbrush in the kitchen" Gail responded as if it were the most obvious thing. "So when I use the toilet bowl brush, they really get everywhere, hence the riot gear" she finished pointing to her outfit as she slipped on the paper booties.

"All you need now is a respirator" Holly responded, wondering where this fear of poop germs came from. The priceless look on the blonde's face made it obvious that she had never thought of that before.

"Oh my God, Holly! You're right!"

XXXXXXXXXX

The argument in question happened two months into their relationship, in the early hours of the morning. Holly was exhausted, having worked nearly 24 hours straight after staying to help with an influx of food poisoning patients having come from a wedding. All she wanted to go was crawl into her bed and not move for at least twelve hours, when she'd get up and spend the time until Gail had to leave for work completely naked with her beautiful, blonde officer.

She got home and walked straight to the bedroom. She didn't want to disturb Gail so she didn't turn on any lights, which is how she tripped over her girlfriend's go bag, placed inconveniently in the middle of the hall. She less-than-gracefully caught herself before she fell face first into the hardwood flooring and silently cursed the bag. She stilled her motions to make sure the tumble didn't wake the sleeping blonde even though it would be fair if Holly's accident had woken her up. _Who leaves tripping hazards in the middle of a hallway?_ the doctor thought, annoyed at the incident.

She wandered into the bathroom, wanting to quickly wash her face and pee before falling into a coma-like slumber. The water felt good on her face, and it was nice to brush her teeth after nearly a day. The last thing on the agenda before sleep was to relieve her bladder. She pulled off her scrubs and pulled down her panties to sit on the toilet, when she promptly fell into the toilet bowl. She sat in the toilet water for a brief second, shock coursing through her system followed instantaneously by anger.

"GAIL!" she yelled as she pulled herself out of the toilet. "GAIL!"

She could hear the blonde throw herself out of the bed and stumble to the bathroom in an attempt to get to Holly, but being slowed by her body's recent emergence from slumber. She almost fell into the bathroom, a wild expression on her face, the look of concern and confusion.

"What?! What happened?!" she asked in a panicked voice before throwing on the light. This was how she found Holly, standing in her bra, with her panties around her ankles, and hands on her hips. The panic dissipated but the confusion grew.

"What are you doing Holly?" she asked. She could see that Holly was fuming, but she honestly couldn't tell why.

The brunette looked at her girlfriend's messy hair and sleep swollen eyes. She looked so damn cute it almost made Holly forget why she was angry. Almost.

"Well, I didn't want to turn on the lights and wake you, which led to me nearly breaking my neck when I tripped on the strap of your go bag that you've conveniently left in the middle of the hallway. Then, I didn't turn on the light in here allowing me to dunk my ass in the toilet!" she said emphatically as she turned and pointed to the water dripping off her bottom. Gail cringed at the sight of the toilet water dripping off the doctor's lovely behind.

"Don't make that face at my butt! I have a nice ass!" she said, annoyed.

"You do have a nice ass, a very nice ass, but it's dripping in poop-germ water right now. And that's gross" Gail responded, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Holly, I thought you were dying! Why were you screaming at me like that?" she pouted, not happy that she's been woken up for reasons other than sex.

"Because of this!" Holly pointed again to her backside. "Why do you lift the toilet seat anyway?" she demanded.

"I don't like to sit on the toilet seat. It's germy. So I lift up the toilet seat and hover" she said with a scrunched up face. This didn't help Holly's exasperated mood.

"We are the only two people who use this toilet. You have personally licked every inch of my body, including the parts that touch the toilet seat!" Holly said as she pulled off her bra and started the shower.

"Yeah, but not while you're doing a number two, Hol" Gail responded as if it were the most obvious thing.

Holly took a deep breath. She was angry, but she knew she was reacting so harshly because of the lack of sleep. She needed to calm down before this argument went down a road she didn't want it to. Gail noticed the change in demeanor and she could feel herself soften too.

"I'm sorry, Hol. I know I have a weird thing with toilet germs, and it's strange, I just.. I just don't like poop-germs" she said with downcast eyes.

"I know you have a thing with the bathroom Gail, and that's fine. But can we at least make the compromise that you put the toilet seat down when you're done?" she asked as she reached out for the blonde, her anger having almost completely evaporated.

Gail moved over to the brunette with a small smile. "I can do that" she said.

"Thank you. And now, you can help me disinfect" she said in a husky voice as she pulled off the blonde's tank top.

Both women agreed that make up sex was definitely worth the fight.

XXXXXXXXXX

With a commitment, Gail soon realized, came responsibilities. And for the most part, the blonde officer had enjoyed the responsibilities that came with being somebody's girlfriend; mostly it meant hanging out and having copious amounts of sex, which she was grateful to oblige. The problem was, there were other annual responsibilities quickly approaching, namely the birthday of said girlfriend.

Gail knew the brunette's birthday was in May, and as the winter snow started to melt, it hit her that she needed to plan something, _do something_, to somehow acknowledge the day. The problem was she didn't know how.

Growing up, birthdays were regarded as distractions and were celebrated with a small cake after dinner (if her parents could make it home) and a card with some cash inside. Nobody sang "Happy Birthday", there were no hugs, just nods and the quiet mutters of "happy birthday, sweetheart". Holly deserved a lot more than that, she knew, but she was at a loss for what the 'a lot more' actually entailed.

The only other birthday she had to actually celebrate was her on-again, off-again boyfriend Nick. They had been together for two years total, which meant that twice Gail had presented him with concert tickets to a band she knew he liked and put on some lingerie. Nothing special, but he didn't seem to mind. She knew she had to do better than that. Gail was starting to feel the same way she had when they started dating, the pressure of Holly's birthday making her feel inadequate and inexperienced. She was becoming overwhelmed by Holly's birthday and as March gave way to April, it became the thing that consumed her thoughts.

She was in charge of the evidence room one slow day, digging through the boxes of crap that had been confiscated, left behind, or stolen, when inspiration struck. Hiding behind a wheelbarrow was a beat-up ukulele. She picked it up and gave it a once over noting that despite its rough edges and scratched body, the ukulele seemed to be okay. She strummed a few times, not actually knowing how to play the instrument, but she was content with the sounds it was making.

She started humming the tune to her favourite Elvis Presley song while tried to match the notes on the stringed instrument. She didn't think it was in tune, although she wasn't sure exactly how to go about correcting it. So she pushed forward, making progress with her song.

She finished the tune for the millionth time when she heard slow clapping. Surprised that anyone was listening she turned her head to see Oliver leaning against the door jamb with a smile on his face.

"Don't laugh at me" Gail said in a quiet voice as she quickly tried to put the instrument away.

"I wasn't laughing at you, Peck. I swear" he responds with his hands in the air. "You have a beautiful voice, darlin'" he told her as he moved further into the room.

The red from her face was still there when she looked him in the eye.

"Really, a beautiful voice" he said with a nod to make sure she knew he wasn't mocking her. "Why the mini guitar though?" he asked as he sat in an empty chair next to the desk.

"It's a ukulele. I found it in the piles of people's discarded junk" she replied with a shrug.

He nodded in understanding looking around at the rest of the items the police were required to hold until they could be sold at auction or destroyed.

"But why? Why not just sing the song?" he asked.

She just shrugged again. "Why not?"

"You have such a beautiful voice, you don't need it" he tells her. "Besides, who is the song for, anyway?"

The redness returned to her face.

"Ahhh" he said as he clapped her on the arm. "Your anniversary?"

"Her birthday" Gail said with a sigh.

He continued to nod in the way that only Oliver can, the way that says that he understands, the way that says he's on your side, and looked Gail right in the eye.

"You have a beautiful voice, Gail. You don't need backup" he says as he gets up and starts for the door. "You know, she's going to love whatever you get for her, whatever you do for her, because as long as it's from the heart, it's priceless".

Gail wanted to roll her eyes at him, and did in fact, but she knew he was at least partially right. Holly was the kind of person who recognized the gesture as much as the actual gift. She was hoping that was going to be the case, because Gail had no other ideas.

The day of Holly's birthday had finally arrived and Gail was a nervous wreck. She had started the day with breakfast in bed, which had the intent of being romantic and elegant, but Gail was too nervous to actually cook anything. It ended up being frozen waffles and diced oranges. True to Holly's nature, she acted as if Gail had made her a gourmet meal and served it on a golden platter.

Both women had to work that day. Gail had thought the time away from her girlfriend would offer her some respite, but instead her anxiety grew. She had dinner reservations and had purchased her an original copy of Grey's Anatomy, but she still felt as though she needed to do something extra. As luck would have it, she had found herself rooting through evidence, and found the ukulele. Considering it was on the "destroy" pile, she assumed nobody would miss it. She decided she was going to sing Holly her song. Or at least try to sing it as she vomited from nervousness, but she felt that her girlfriend deserved something that couldn't be bought.

When her shift ended, she showered and put on her dress, did her make-up and hair. Before she left, she grabbed the instrument from evidence and made her way out to the parking lot to the car of the waiting physician.

"Hey ba-" the brunette started before she was cut off.

"Holly, I want to do something special for your birthday" the blonde interrupted.

"Honey, you already made me breakfast in bed and now we're going for dinner, and I got the flowers you sent me. You've already done so many special things for me" she said with a sincere smile. _God _thought Gail _how did I get so lucky?_

"No, I mean I want to do something that can't just be paid for, something that takes a bit of effort, because I want to show you that you're important to me" the blonde said as she pulled the ukulele from out behind her.

She took a deep breath, drumming up all the courage she had and ignoring the hammering in her chest and started to strum the first note.

Suddenly the passenger door flew open, and the hands of Officer Shaw were reaching in the car.

"Nope, no, no, no" he said as he delicately slid out the ukulele from under Gail's arms. Both women stared at him, Gail with shock and anger, and Holly with confusion, not sure what was happening.

"No, no, no" he was still saying after he had closed the car door and headed to the dumpster, where he smashed the wooden instrument and then threw the splinters in.

He was wiping his hands and heading back into the station when Gail finally turned to look at Holly, whose eyes were wide with surprise.

"What just happened?" she asked.

Gail was about to respond when she felt her phone vibrate in her purse. She pulled it open and read the text from her senior officer.

Officer Oliver Shaw:_ I told you, you have a beautiful singing voice. No ukulele. _

XXXXXXXXXX

One of the bonuses that came with dating Holly was that she supported Gail unwaveringly. Gail had applied for the children's outreach unit the first opportunity she had, and had been accepted immediately. The blonde was thrilled to finally be working with this unit, but it was a lot harder than she had anticipated it being.

She learned how deep Holly's support ran when she found Gail crying in the shower one night after a particularly long case had been wrapped up. The boy they had been searching for, one they had been hopeful they would find with his estranged father, had been found dead in a ravine. It was a devastating blow for Gail, who thought the little boy looked just like her Antoine.

Holly, after coming home and finding Gail in the fetal position, laying with the water running over her body, silently climbed in and held the blonde as her body wracked with sobs. When she had no more tears left to cry, she sat up to snuggle closer to the doctor. She stopped when her eyes ran across the brunette's face; she was crying to.

"What's wrong, Holly?" Gail asked in a hoarse voice, her throat sore from crying.

"It's just" Holly sniffled and met her own reddened eyes with Gail's, "it's just that it breaks my heart to see you like this. I can actually feel my insides turn to mush when you're upset like this. I know this is just a bad case and you'll learn to move on, but it hurts me to see you so devastated" she said before another round of tears trailed down her cheeks.

Gail kissed the tears away as Holly tried to stop crying.

"I love you" Gail whispered. The sob Holly had been holding back poured out as she pulled the blonde woman in closer.

"I love you, too" she said.


End file.
